The Finest Struggle (Reworked)
by Lady Caitlyn Crowne
Summary: For Vi, punching something or someone is enough to make her happy. For Caitlyn, work is always above everything else. When they finally come in terms with their feelings, things are not as easy as they thought. And when Jinx decides to make an appearance, it will all just spin into a total disaster. (Reworked version of the original fiction posted back in 2013)
1. I Found

As promised, here's the reworked version of The Finest Struggle. I'm currently just giving some finishing touches on a couple of chapters and having them spellchecked before I post it. There's 11 chapters total, so expect them posted until the end of the day. The original story line suffered a few alterations to fit the new lore a bit more and to hopefully give a few more character to this lovely ladies.

The chapters are also now named after the songs I listened to while I was writing. I've made a playlist that I will update and link, if someone is interested.

Hope you guys love this new version as much as I do! Enjoy!

(Cross posted on AO3 as well)

* * *

" _And I found love where it wasn't supposed to be  
Right in front of me  
Talk some sense to me"_

 _I Found – Amber Run_

 **OoOoO**

"Come on Caitlyn, it will do you good." He almost begged this time. "You need to get out more any ways; being stuck behind that desk in this..." Jayce paused for a moment, faintly gesturing to their surroundings. "... Stuffy room all day long is no good. You have to admit it though; some fresh air and a nice warm meal in good company does sound tempting."

Flashing a very cocky smile he thought she wouldn't be able to resist, he leaned back on his chair, watching her with soft eyes.

She barely spared him a glance and his face dropped.

His late attempts to get the sheriff to agree to a pleasant dinner with him seemed now more hopeless than before, ever since Vi got in the picture. The brash pink haired woman seemed to have a tight hold on Caitlyn's attention from day one, being it through her easy-going nature or through the paperwork piling up on the sheriff's desk.

He still had no idea what his friend saw in her.

He tried to keep his face as neutral as possible as she scribbled away, no doubt trying to justify why the museum front windows had to be replaced yet again. Or why the house of some nobleman had now a Vi sized hole in the place where the door used to be. Who knew these days what she had been up to as the reports kept coming in almost in a daily basis.

Sometimes even in a matter of a few hours.

The usual composure Caitlyn seemed to keep, faded and she let out a quiet sigh. Muttering something under her breath in a language he was not familiar with, she let go of her pen and reached to pinch the bridge of her nose, before letting her eyelids drop.

The sheriff remained unmoving for what seemed like an eternity before she opened her eyes and fixed Jayce with a surprised look, like he hadn't been there sitting in front of her all that time.

His stomach turned and he clenched his teeth, trying to still keep his face as neutral as possible but judging by the the way Caitlyn cleaned her throat and straightened her back, she must have seen through his façade.

"I am really sorry Jayce but I am afraid I will have to decline your invitation." Her eyes focused back on the papers and she grabbed the pen again, scribbling something quickly in one of the margins. "I am busy with important documents that the commissary needs to have first thing tomorrow morning. And in about an hour I have a meeting with the rest of the sheriffs... No idea how long that will be this time."

"I understand that duty comes first but... I mean, look at yourself. You look exhausted, Cait."

She let out a quiet sigh and dropped her pen again."I am aware of that. Sadly, crime does not take vacations." She replied quietly, hands reaching up to rub her temples. "So neither do I."

He shook his head at her demeanour. "You should at least take a day to yourself. Sleep in, maybe do some shopping? Also have some decent meals for once, I hear from Mohan all you eat nowadays is salad and junk food."

"You sounded just like her now." The sheriff chuckled slightly and upon seeing Jayce's confused expression, she clarified. "Vi, I mean. She has been pestering me about my eating habits, even though she is the one who supplies me with terrible fast food..." Gesturing to the papers on her desk, she added; "And extra work."

Cocking an eyebrow, he stared at the raven haired woman who had seemingly spaced out. Her eyes were a dull blue and her gaze seemed to be fixated on a spot above his head.

Probably the door.

He chuckled to himself when she broke out of her reverie and cleaned her throat, probably embarrassed for being caught daydreaming. A soft _'sorry'_ escaped her lips as she straightened herself on the chair and her eyes fell on the documents she had been working on before. Jayce allowed her to regain her composure and busy herself again with scribbling away, until the sound of pen on paper was the only thing filling the air for a while.

When he noticed her eyes had glazed over again, he carefully asked; "Something on your mind?"

"Perhaps. But it is not something I wish to talk about. I hope you understand."

"We are friends, Caitlyn. You know you can tell me anything. And to be honest, it does seem like you may need a friendly ear... Especially with what is being said around town."

She leaned back on her chair again and raised an eyebrow at his statement. "A new rumour?"

"Yeah. About that argument you and your enforcer had two nights ago in front of one of the theatres at Drawsmith Arcade." He scratched his chin absently. "I am guessing the courtier you two were interrogating couldn't keep her lips shut for long."

The raven haired woman sighed in frustration. "We had a disagreement. Vi made a tasteless joke, I replied in kind. That is all that there is to it; what did that unbearable woman make of it?"

"Lover's spat."

She frowned. "Is that all? It feels like nothing compared to the rumours going around the tavern's bad tongues."

"Well... There was also something about Vi's performance being... unsatisfactory... in between the sheets. Your own words, she said."

Caitlyn stood up abruptly and let out an exasperated sigh. "That was meant as a joke!"

His eyes filled with mirth at her words. "Wait... You actually said that?"

"It was nothing more than an harmless joke, I swear. Vi started by insulting my ego. So I insulted hers in return, using the only language she seems capable of understanding these days."

"In front of a suspect..."

"It was still meant as a joke."

"That's a shame. I was honestly wondering if she is really that bad in bed."

"You can just ask her, if you are that curious. I am sure she wouldn't mind bragging about herself for hours."

"And risk having my bones broken? I'll pass. She is not as chatty with me as she is with you on those... subjects." He eyed the slight flush on the sheriff's face with suspicion. "Although, I have to wonder... Was it really just a humorous comeback or is there more to it? You seem more distraught by this than usual."

"Do not go there, Jayce."

He held his hands up slightly in defence. "Alright, alright... I get it. There is absolutely nothing going on between you two. Nothing at all. Just good ol' gals being pals."

"You have been spending time with Sarah again."

"What can I say? She is a charming lady." When she rolled her eyes at this, he chuckled. "You know she means well, even under those insane amounts of innuendos she throws around."

"Now you sound like Ashe. Next you are going to tell me to _'trust my instincts and stop being so stubborn'_ when it comes to finding a date."

"Wise words from a wise woman. Maybe you should listen to her."

Caitlyn hummed affirmatively before moving away from the desk, turning her back to him to stare out of the window. The street below was busting with movement, from the couples passing by with arms linked and knowing smiles, to the merchants selling all sorts of warm beverages and sweets.

Her eyes darted to the side walk across the Hall of Law when she caught a flash of pink.

Vi was walking with an unchecked swag to her step, like she owned the place. Her huge gauntlets shined in the low light, as the small crowd parted to let her through; either out of fear or simple dislike. It was hard for the sheriff to wrap her mind around the idea of how much Piltover disliked Zaunites, even though she was pretty sure nearly the entire south of the city was full of people whose parents came from both factions.

Some of the northern upper bring as well, if she was being honest. But of course, people there were quick to hide that under a few heavy bags of golden hex.

Focusing her attention back to the enforcer, she noticed the pink haired woman had stopped near a small stall and was now in an amused conversation with the old owner. She was gesturing big and frantically, her metal fingers flexing and stretching accordingly. It looked incredibly ridiculous; yet Caitlyn felt her heart flutter in her chest and her shoulders drop at the sight.

It seemed like the appropriate metaphor, she thought, that Vi had this talent to break through people's guards. She felt some of the stress melt away at the prospect of the enforcer walking- no, barging, into her office in a couple of minutes and regal her with one of her wild stories of what had happened while she was on patrol.

Her eyes soften and she let out a content sigh, completely forgetting she had company.

Jayce watched her with completely unabashed amusement and let out a throaty laugh when she flinched and suddenly turned to face him, cheeks red and puffed. Her eyes narrowed and her posture stiffened considerably when she caught sight of his expression but he remained unmoved.

"I can only begin to guess who you caught sight of down there. I only regret it is not me."

She opened her mouth to retort, but it died on her throat when she heard her partner's full laugh fill up the hallway and her heart swayed.

It was so frustrating how little things like that had an effect on her.

The defender seemed to catch on and his grin widened, much to her dismay. He then got up from his chair and brushed non-existent dust from his clothes. Grabbing his heavy mercury hammer from where he had leaned it against the wall earlier, he watched as his friend sat down at her desk, her eyes refusing to meet his. She was clearly embarrassed at being caught out and his expression softened slightly.

"For all that is worth, I won't tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me. But... I think you should talk to her about it."

"I cannot, Jayce. There is no point in doing so."

"Why not? The rumours are already there to begin with. The only thing you would be doing is confirming some are true."

She shook her head. "That is not the point."

"You are not going to pull the entire _'we are so different'_ speech, are you? It doesn't suit you."

"What would you honestly have me do then? Confess to her like a love struck teenager? I am far too old for that."

"Well, you just admitted you do have feelings for her. That's a start."

"Jayce, please."

"Fine, suit yourself then." He turned to leave but paused when his hand touched the door handle. "Just so you know, I will keep pestering you about dinner if you don't talk to her. See you around, Cait."

Before she had a chance to reply, the door had opened and closed, and she found herself alone in her small office again. A frustrated muttered curse left her lips at his antics but she found herself having no time to dwell on it when the heavy clock chimed five o'clock.

Quickly grabbing a manilla folder from the top drawer of her heavy wooden desk, she stood and left the room. Crossing the reception hall in quick strides, she barely spared a glance around as she made her way to the elevators.

As she pressed the button to the top floor and the doors hissed shut in front of her, Caitlyn was blissfully unaware that a certain pink haired woman had caught the last part of her conversation and left the building.


	2. Oceans

" _I want you  
And I always will  
I wish I was worth  
But I know what you deserve"_

 _Oceans – Seafret_

 **OoOoO**

It was already way past one in the morning when Caitlyn finally managed to finish all the reports for the day. The reunion with the other sheriffs had taken longer than she expected; there had barely been enough time for her to grab a bite before she had to dive back into the important paperwork littering her desk.

The discussion with Jayce earlier had made her uneasy; as much as she would love to say his words had fallen unto deaf ears, truth to be told it made her thoughts race more than ever. And to make things worse, Vi had been gone all day without a word.

After grabbing her trademark top hat and her riffle, she made sure everything was properly locked behind herself before making her way through the main hall, now deserted save for the night shift staff. The front desk was occupied by a desk-warden, who seemed busy dealing with a distressed caller. She paused for a moment, wondering if she would perhaps be needed; wouldn't be the first time her late nights turned into early mornings due to some occurrence that required a sheriff's presence.

The eye roll she received answered her question.

 _'Ah. One of those.'_

Chuckling softly, she bid the man her good nights and wished him good luck, to which he replied with a nod.

The chill of the night caught her off guard as she pushed the heavy doors open and stepped out of the Hall of Law. Rubbing her arms in a poor attempt to generate some warmth, Caitlyn noticed the moon was slowly but surely being covered by heavy clouds. The early spring had brought an unexpected warm day but that clearly wasn't going to last.

' _Great… And just when I forgot my coat and umbrella this morning.'_

Sighing, she decided it was best to just start walking and pray to whatever deities there were that she could make it to her flat before the storm settled in. Her heels echoed on the polished cobblestones with each step she took, her figure shrouded in the warm orange originating from the glow lamps illuminating the street.

Her thoughts wandered to a certain pink haired woman again and the sheriff began to wonder if something had happened. Her pneuma-tube had been left unanswered and in the office the only thing she had learned was that Vi had came in, rushed upstairs and then left again without a word.

Old troubles from Zaun were not an uncommon occurrence in the enforcer's life, but even if kept hush hush from the bulk of the wardens, she had always made sure Caitlyn knew what was going on. Hospital trips were also an adventure; it was rare when a call wouldn't be placed to her office to inform her how her partner was being difficult with the doctors or was getting too hands-y with the nurses again.

Shaking her head and focusing back on the empty streets, she figured a visit would be in order in case Vi didn't show up in the office first thing in the morning.

Just as she was nearing the residential quarters, heavy raindrops began to pour down, the sound of thunder rolling in the distance. Letting out a curse, she broke into a run until her building finally came into view.

Caitlyn clicked her key and pushed the heavy front door wide open. The hextech chandelier came on and basked the entry way in a faint yellow as the raven haired woman leaned against the nearby wall, completely soaked and breathless.

The sound of rain and her ragged breath were the only sounds echoing in the walls, aside from the occasional rumble of thunder. She turned her face to eye the water stained glass, the outside world so blurred it reminded her of a picturesque painting she had seen hanging at the art gallery months prior.

Caitlyn remained unmoving for a few minutes and by the time she finally managed to catch her breath, she found herself shivering with cold. The light had gone off due to the timer too, shrouding her in darkness.

Frowning, she moved from the wall and took off her hat, free hand reaching to tousle the drenched hair sticking to her neck and shoulders; she then reached to unstrap her riffle from its place at her back, the cold metal an uncomfortable feeling against her skin.

She entered the elevator and pressed the button to the penthouse, thankful to know that a warm bath, a nice cup of tea and her bed were just mere floors away.

Her plans were, however, completely ruined the moment the elevator doors hissed open and she spotted the sight at her front door.

Vi was sitting on the floor against the door, fast asleep by the looks of it. She was snoring loudly, rivalling the sound of the storm outside. Her face was serene, save for the occasional twitch at the corner of her lips and the scrunch of eyebrows.

Shaking her head, Caitlyn stepped into the hallway and began to wonder what the pink haired woman was doing in her apartment building. A feeling of dread took over as she eyed the sleeping form of her partner, her blue eyes darting around looking for any kind of injury.

She sighed in relief when she found none; but the feeling was quickly replaced with annoyance at how Vi had managed to get in without the sheriff's presence.

Using the butt of her riffle, she poked one of Vi's feet, in an attempt to wake her up. When all she got was a small mumble and barely a stir in reply, she poked the woman again, this time on her side.

That did just the trick.

The enforcer's eyes suddenly cracked open and she raised her metal fists, looking around for any signs of danger. Her eyes landed on the figure in front of her and it took her a whole minute to realize where she was, what she was doing and why Caitlyn was looking at her with such an unamused expression on her face.

Lowering her fists, she gave the raven haired woman a sheepish smile before getting up and dusting herself off. Her light blue eyes finally seemed to come to focus as she took a once over at the other woman. "You're soaking wet."

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at this. "And you were sleeping on my doorstep." When the younger woman gave her a confused look, she added. "I am sorry, I thought we were stating the obvious."

"Yeah well... I didn't realize it was raining like hell outside. Guess I've been here for a while..." She paused for a moment to let out a yawn before pulling out a small pocket watch to check the time. "Whoa! You only got home now?! It's _fucking_ two in the morning!"

"The meeting today was a mess and ended near supper time. Plus the commissary wanted those finances reports first thing in the morning. Couldn't be helped, I guess. Although... I think the most important question here is how did you manage to get in...?"

The enforcer nearly choked on air mid yawn, which made Caitlyn even more suspicious.

"Well? How _did_ you get in, Vi?"

"I-uh... One of your neighbours let me in."

" _Vi._ "

"Okay fine. I _may_ have promised your doorman to take a look at his hex-radio for free this weekend. And I also _may_ have slipped some fancy liquor to his wife. You know how much they love to see me around the building so I had to pull some bribes."

Caitlyn shook her head at her partner's antics. "I am surprised that they let you in even with your so-called ' _bribes'_. Last time his wife told me just how much of an hazard to the building your very presence is; she is still convinced you will charge down my floorboards and wreck it in half just because you can."

"And risk damaging your fine porcelains? Never. I can deal with the old hag being mad at me. But you? You would cut my cupcake supply and shoot my ass. The most she could do is slamming the door on my face and tap me gently with her walking stick."

The sheriff shook her head and let out a sigh. "You are incorrigible. Now move, I need to get out of these clothes."

Stepping aside, the enforcer silently accepted to hold her partner's drenched hat as she clicked the door open and stepped inside her flat, turning on the lights. Awkwardly standing at the entrance, she watched as the other woman slotted her rifle in the mounted stand near the door before discarding her boots and making quick work of the leather belts she wore, laying them down on the back of a chair.

She paused her motions when she noticed Vi hadn't moved. "Are you waiting for me to invite you inside? Normally you just barge in."

"Ah..." the enforcer rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "It's late so I thought I would just get going and let you rest."

"Would not be fair to send you out in this weather and at this ungodly hour. Not to mention if you went through all the trouble to wait for me on my doorstep, you must have something important to tell me. Just come in and lock the door, will you?"

She hesitated for a second as the sheriff disappeared to the bathroom, before stepping inside and closing the door, making sure to click all the latches to properly lock it. Placing Caitlyn's infamous hat on top of the chair where her partner had draped her belts, she pressed a button on her gauntlets and they came loose with a satisfactory _hiss_ ; she then placed them on the heavy metal dish that the sheriff had arranged just for the purpose of storing the heavy metal fists.

When the raven haired woman returned to the room towelling her long hair, she found the enforcer stiffly sitting on the couch, flexing her hands.

"Do you need some ice or cold water to dip you hands in?"

"Ah no, I'm alright. Thanks."

She frowned at the reply. "Are you tired then? I can get you some blankets now."

Vi shook her head and glanced over. "Nah, cupcake. I'm good. Just go take a shower and get out of those clothes, ya? I can wait."

"If you are sure. Feel free to help yourself to the coffee pot if you want; there should also be some cupcakes left in the cupboard."

Nodding in acknowledgement, she watched as her partner exited the room, eyes lingering in the hallway where her form had just disappeared to. The enforcer waited until she heard a door slamming shut before letting out a long sigh and closing her eyes.

Making the right decisions was never an easy thing to do.

 **OoOoO**

Fifteen minutes later, Caitlyn re-emerged from her shower wearing a sweater and plain grey pants. Her hair had been brushed and tied in a neat ponytail; but from the wet spots around her collar and shoulders, she had cut the drying process short.

She found Vi in the same place she was when she had left and by the looks of it, she hadn't moved at all during the time the sheriff was gone. Her gaze was lost somewhere on a random spot on the wall, eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. Her elbows rested on her knees, her scarred hands supporting her chin.

Caitlyn studied her for a minute. She had never seen Vi so distraught before, so she concluded whatever had brought her partner to her flat was indeed a serious matter.

Her conversation with Jayce briefly came to mind and her heart raced. Had Vi perhaps heard some of it and was about to confront her about it? Her stomach twisted uncomfortably at the thought and she felt sick. Wouldn't be too late to just tell the enforcer she was too tired and avoid an awkward situation.

But on the other hand, she knew she shouldn't be jumping to conclusions. The younger woman had connections in Zaun that once in a while decided to prove inconvenient. Maybe one of them had gotten too problematic and had to be dealt with. Wouldn't be the first time she would come to her to clean up the mess in the aftermath.

Taking a deep breath, she padded towards the couch and sat down next to the other woman, slightly startling her.

"Oh sorry, didn't realize you were done already." Her eyes found the sheriff's as she offered her a small smile. "I got distracted by the way so... There's no coffee."

"That is alright. I can make us some tea if you would like...?"

"Nah, I'm good thanks. But hm... Yeah, we kinda need to talk."

Caitlyn's stomach twisted. "About?"

"Us."


	3. Let It Go

" _I used to recognize myself  
It's funny how reflections change  
When we're becoming something else  
I think it's time to walk away"_

 _Let It Go (Cover) – Sofia Karlbesrg (Original version by James Bay)_

 **OoOoO**

The silence that fell between them was suffocating.

Vi's gaze was lost on the wall again, somewhere between the rich paintings of flowers and the framed pictures of Caitlyn in her young years, happily smiling with her parents. She remembered the first time she had stepped into the flat and how much she had teased the sheriff for choosing to have flowers painted instead of the real thing.

 _'If you like flowers so much, why don't you just buy real ones?'_ she had asked one time, only to get a look of disbelief in return. _'Real ones wither and die. Their beauty is fleeting; besides I wouldn't have the time to take care of them properly.'_

Not even a few days later, she had shown up in the office with a small potted plant, a silly little thing she had found at one of most expensive florists. The lady claimed it had been imported from a place Vi could barely begin to try to pronounce and that it required minimal care.

Not to mention it would bloom a single purple flower every year.

After a short argument, her partner thankfully had accepted the small gift. It had stayed in the heavy wooden desk for a few days afterwards but then it just disappeared mysteriously one day. The enforcer just assumed Caitlyn had either given it away to someone else or neglected it so much it had just died somehow.

However, a quick glance towards the window proved her theory wrong.

There, neatly placed on the windowsill, the small plant was as green as Vi remembered it to be, the only thing different being the small purple bud that had sprouted from its stem. A small sense of happiness took over her for a moment as she regarded her gift and how her partner had actually cared for it, despite their busy days on the job.

She found Caitlyn studying her from the corner of her eye. Her posture was stiff, arms folded in front of her chest, face unreadable. She seemed to be wanting to break the silence as her lips would momentarily part, only to close again, like she was struggling to find the right words.

Unfortunately, the enforcer knew there were no right words to say what she needed to say. So, taking a deep breath, she slowly turned to face the older woman and steeled herself for what was about to come.

"I don't think we should work together any more."

And there it was, finally in the open.

Caitlyn barely managed to contain her surprise when the words left her partner's mouth, eyebrows raising and arms falling to the sides. She began to run a quick mental check over the possible reasons that would lead to Vi wanting to quit. When she found none that would sound reasonable enough, her face twisted in a deep scowl.

"Why do you want to quit, Vi? I thought this was what you wanted?"

The enforcer let out a sigh, blowing her bangs out of her face. "It's not that I want to quit the job; I just think us working together so much its not a good thing." She quickly added, "And no, I don't have any problems with you and no, you didn't do anything wrong."

The other woman bristled at this. "Well it does sound like you have a problem with me in particular if you want to break our partnership. I just cannot seem to grasp _why_."

"You wouldn't understand, Caitlyn. It's... complicated."

Icy blues soften slightly. "Make me understand then."

Standing up and tousling her pink hair further than it already was, the enforcer let out a frustrated sigh and took a few steps away from the couch, in order to create some distance. She then stood, back towards her partner, eyes fixated again on the pictures hanging on the wall.

"I've been hearing things lately around the station." she paused. "And I'm not talking about the usual rumours; I'm talking about something else. I'm talking about the wardens being worried about how many extra hours you've been putting in. They think you're covering up for me."

Caitlyn rubbed at her face in frustration. "That's not entirely true. Your messes are usually quick to clean up; just the things that take me extra time are the spreadsheets and that only happens once every month. Justifying your employment can be a bit... difficult... at times but it always works for the best. And I'm not covering up for you, you are a grown woman, you can cover up for yourself just fine. You have done it before."

"Jayce seems to disagree."

The sheriff's heart began to race at her words. "You heard our conversation."

"Partly, yeah. By the way, when were you going to tell me? If you were even going to tell me _at all_."

"It did not seem relevant enough to bring to your attention."

Vi spun around like she had been burned. "It doesn't seem _'relevant'_ to you to tell your partner you may have a thing for her?"

The sheriff's posture shrunk at the outburst before making a split-second decision. "I never said I had _'thing'_ for you, Vi. Jayce just took things out of context, as did everyone else it seems. It was not important enough to bring to your attention that yet again we are being the target of wild speculation."

The enforcer seemed to be considering her words for a moment, which gave Caitlyn a moment to breathe. She felt guilty for omitting the truth instead of confronting the elephant in the room, but if Vi wanted to end their partnership over the notion the raven haired woman may harbour feelings for her, one could only guess what she would do if the sheriff actually spelled it out to her.

Her musings were interrupted when she noticed the taller woman had moved and was standing now directly in front of her, watching her like a hawk. Their eyes met and she could have sworn that was the moment when Vi saw right through her façade, eyes slightly narrowing before she leaned down, palms resting on either side of the sheriff's body.

Their faces were impossibly close now and Caitlyn could do little but stare into clear blue, face flushing at the proximity. She knew the enforcer had her right were she wanted and there was no way to avoid what would be coming next.

She wouldn't lie any more.

"Tell me the truth, Cait." her voice was impossibly soft when she spoke and the woman underneath her shivered. "Do you have feelings for me?"

All the sheriff managed was a small nod in reply, her icy eyes occasionally flickering to the other woman's lips. It took all Vi's self control to keep herself from closing the distance between them at that moment but she reminded herself that this was her partner and why she had come to see her in the first place.

She moved away, breaking the spell. Caitlyn let out an audible sigh and she felt guilt gnawing at her insides for putting them in such a compromising situation in the first place. She did have the answer to her question but at what cost? The only thing she could do would be trying to defuse the situation and pray the late hour and exhaustion could be used as an excuse for her actions.

She gave her partner one of her trademark grins. "Ya know, I figured you did have a thing for me. It's the only explanation for why you've been putting up with my _shit_ for so long, cupcake."

When the only reply she got was a raised eyebrow and a confused look, her grin faded. "Look, real talk though, I'm really sorry I went off on you like that about our partnership. It's been a really _shitty_ day and all and then I heard some wardens talking and hammer boy and yeah I just... Guess I wasn't thinking."

She rubbed at her face in frustration and stifled a yawn. Caitlyn seemed stunned for a moment at the sudden change of demeanour but said nothing of it. Outside the rain turned into hail as the storm hit, thunder rattling the windows of the flat. Vi had wished the bad weather had passed by now so she could make her exit but there was no such thing as luck.

It had gotten even worse.

Just as the sheriff was about to open her mouth, the lights went off. Vi let out a curse at how unlucky the evening was turning to be and in the dim light she saw that the other woman had reached for the small table near the couch and was holding a small lavender candle in a crystal dish.

She glanced at the enforcer expectantly and the pink haired woman rolled her eyes, before pulling out a lighter from her back pocket with a ' _it's really not mine'._

Caitlyn rolled her eyes as she lit up the candle, her features coming to view once again. She looked so serene in the candle light that Vi couldn't help but stare, as she had never seen such a beautiful sight before in her life. It only lasted a moment however, as the lighter was extended back to her and she noticed the weariness in her icy blue eyes.

"If you can wait a moment, I will take the candle so I can get you some blankets and get some light in my bedroom."

"Sure, that's alright."

Nodding, the raven haired woman got up and padded to her room, making quick work of lighting the two candles she kept on top of her dresser. Placing the candle she had brought with her down for a moment, she slid her closet door open and pulled two warm blankets out of the pile.

Holding both under her arm, she reached for the candle again with her free hand and walked back into the living room, only to find Vi staring out the window. She turned when she noticed the older woman and gave her a small smile.

"Seems like the lights are off almost all over the city. May be a busy time for the night shift."

"I don't think criminals are out in this weather; plus I think the generators will be kicking in soon enough so the lights will be back on." Placing the candle down on the coffee table, Caitlyn waited for the enforcer to move back towards the couch before extending the blankets to her. "I got you these; if you need extras just let me know."

"These should do the trick, thanks, cupcake."

Their fingers touched as she reached for the blankets and she felt the guilt rising up her throat again. She had been oh so close to kiss Caitlyn but she knew she deserved more than just a one night thing with a Zaunite criminal.

Vi didn't do relationships like most. Her survival instinct and her background made her naturally distrustful towards others so it was not an uncommon occurrence for her to have a quick escapade and move on.

The sheriff didn't deserve something so meaningless. She deserved flowers, candle light dinners, fancy evenings by the theatre and walking around town with arms linked to an hextech prodigy who was both infuriating handsome and rich.

Someone like Jayce.

The thought made her stomach twist and she cursed mentally to keep her emotions in check.

It was just a physical thing, she reminded herself. The long hours stuffed in the office, along with the playful banter had just gotten to her head. And Caitlyn's too, it seemed. What could they possibly gain from feeding the attraction, she wondered? Maybe a couple of fun nights and a whole new level of awkwardness on the job. Not to mention there was always the looming threat of both being laid off by the wardens.

She knew the raven haired woman's life was all about the job so the right thing to do would be to let this mess die out before both ended up hurt in the process.

Their gazes met again when Vi noticed her partner had made no effort to move. She was still standing there, studying her with that unreadable expression of hers and that made her wonder if Caitlyn could see through her the same way she could. Just the thought alone made her avert her eyes and focus her attention on spreading the blankets on the couch.

A flash of hurt passed through the sheriff's face but she said nothing of it, choosing to instead murmur a quiet ' _good night'_ and turning around to leave. She barely heard Vi's reply as she padded through the small hallway and entered her room, closing the door behind herself.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and leaned against her door, eyes closed. Her mind did a quick check on everything that had transpired earlier, slightly lingering on when they had been so close she thought the enforcer would kiss her. A flush covered her cheeks, along with a fluttering of the heart. But that was quickly replaced with guilt, shame and disappointment.

Just what kind of games Vi was playing, she didn't know. One moment she nearly demands to know if she had feelings for her, the other she dismisses everything that had happened as stress and exhaustion.

Bawling her hands into fists, she felt the familiar sting of nails digging into her palm. It was a habit she had picked on from her earlier years, something she would do when she felt herself at the edge of losing it to anger. Taking a deep breath, she unclenched her hands and made her way to the bed, pushing the duvet and the sheets so she could sit down.

When she reached behind her head for the elastic band to pull her hair loose, she caught her reflection in the mirror of her dresser and paused for a moment. She looked older, in the dim light of the candles, face twisted like she was in pain, hair barely freed from its hold. She didn't recognize herself any more when the strands finally came down and framed her face.

Her eyes began to water and her reflection blurred with it.

What had happened to the woman whose only goal in life was to find the person responsible for her parents kidnapping? She could only begin to wonder.

 **OoOoO**

Vi began to strip down to her smalls as soon as she heard the door close. Placing everything in a neat pile by the couch, she stacked two pillows and laid down. Arms folded behind her head she stared at the ceiling watching the patterns that the lightning outside would create every other minute while contemplating on what would come in the morning.

She had no doubt in her mind Caitlyn had been upset at what had happened but surely that would pass after some rest. Being the more practical and analytic of the two, without a doubt she would reach the same conclusions Vi had drawn earlier and things would either be back to normal or she would take her earlier words at heart and make them work less together.

The thought didn't sit well with her but it was a fair price to pay.

Resolving to just let it go for now and get some rest, she closed her eyes and hoped exhaustion would catch up to her soon enough, despite the storm raging outside.

She could have sworn she heard quiet sobs before sleep finally claimed her.


	4. Peace Sign

" _Where it's all a blur, you are the hard line  
In the disorder, you are the peace sign" _

_Peace Sign - Lights_

 **OoOoO**

Vi woke up to the smell of coffee and fresh baked pastries. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stretched her arms and felt the familiar _crack_ of joints. Her neck felt sore from sleeping on the couch so she reached to rub it, trying to sooth the aching muscles. Stealing a quick glance at the window, she noticed the first rays of sunlight were slowly illuminating the city.

It was still far too early, she concluded.

Caitlyn was already seated at the small table, fully dressed. She was watching her from the top of a steaming cup of tea, making her feel suddenly shy at the gaze, pulling the blanket back up to cover her torso. The sheriff rolled her eyes at her antics but said nothing, instead focusing her attention on the newspaper laid in front of her.

Thankful for this, the enforcer made quick work of getting dressed and ran to the bathroom, going through her morning routine. A quick glance at the mirror told her she looked just as bad as she felt and she let out a small curse. Using her fingers and some of the hair gel she had left around from the last time she had stayed over, she managed to tame her unruly hair.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a small dark pouch at the edge of the sink and her stomach twisted. She recognized the velvet material from the last time she had asked her partner to borrow some eyeliner; Caitlyn had looked surprised for a moment, before disappearing into her bedroom. She had returned a minute or two later, placing the pouch on Vi's hands and telling her to help herself to whatever she needed.

She knew for a fact that the other woman never misplaced things, so the odds of her just randomly leaving her make-up laying around the sink were non-existent. Which could only mean that the sheriff had been gracious enough to leave it for her to use, despite what had transpired just a few hours prior.

Her right hand shakily reached for the pouch, calloused fingers giving the cord around it a small tug. The familiar contents slowly spilled out in front of her, from the eyeliner she loved to borrow so much to the faint red lipstick her partner was so fond of.

Fingers wavered as she hesitated touching the objects, suddenly afraid of what it would mean.

A moment later, she decided to put everything back and closed the pouch again, somehow feeling like she did not deserve to use any of it.

 **OoOoO**

Vi exited the bathroom and took a seat across Caitlyn, reaching for the now cold toasted bread. As she spread some strawberry jam on it, a steaming cup of coffee was pushed her way; she barely lifted her eyes from her task as she murmured a _thank you._ The sheriff watched her, face slightly dropping when noticing the lack of angry black lines around the enforcer's eyes. The sudden wave of sadness that hit her was quickly masked by disappointment as she wondered if perhaps she should take her partner's early words at heart.

Spending less time together may do them both some good after all.

The silence that had fell between them grew more unbearable as they exited the apartment building and made their way to the Hall of Law. As the streets of Piltover slowly started to wake from its slumber, the first citizens made time between opening their shops or browsing goods to wave and wish a good day to one of their sheriffs as they passed.

However, she didn't seem too fazed by their gesture for the first time in years, choosing to just give them a half smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and a small nod. Many noticed the change of behaviour and Vi began receiving accusatory glares, but the enforcer just rolled her eyes and shrugged it off. On a normal day she may have considered to tell them to _piss off_ , but since she didn't have much of a clue about what was going through her partner's head, she decided against it.

Once they pushed through the heavy doors of the Hall of Law, they were greeted with the sight of Ezreal, sitting on one of the reception's wooden chairs. He appeared to be deep in thought, fiddling with his fingers, only noticing their presence when the desk-warden's booming voice filled the small area. The man took the sight of Vi being accompanied by the sheriff as a blessing, since it meant he was going to be spared from one of the wild stories the younger woman so much loved to share with him first thing in the morning.

The explorer got up from his seat and approached them slowly, a nervous smile on his lips. His eyes scanned the two women for a moment. Noticing the obvious tension in the air; he raised a questioning eyebrow and was about to open his mouth to ask about it when he saw the raw angry glare the enforcer was throwing his way.

Swallowing audibly, he quickly decided to focus his attention on the sheriff only, for his own sake. "Good morning, Caitlyn. I hope I am not bothering you; I know how busy your days can get... But I was hoping I could have your help with something."

"Are you in some sort of trouble again, Ezreal?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Oh, not at all; not this time, at least." He paused, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Its something uh... rather personal, so I was hoping we could talk in private." His eyes flickered to Vi for a moment, who seemed to be not even slightly bothered with the entire thing. "If that's okay."

"Fine by me. Got _shit_ to do anyway." Came the reply as the enforcer moved away from them, making her way towards the desk area.

She didn't get too far however, before Caitlyn's voice made her halt her steps.

"Vi, after you finish your patrols come back here. You are to be on call to the other sheriffs if they need you."

The younger woman snorted, barely sparing her a sidelong glance. "Whatever you say."

"You better get used to it."

"What's that supposed to mean, uh?"

"It means I do not particularly need you so get used to work with the rest of the wardens. Will do you some good."

She snapped and turned to face the other woman. "Are you _fucking_ serious right now?! Why are you dumping me with the others, uh?"

"It is what you wanted last night, is it not?." The statement earned a few raised eyebrows from the people present but she didn't seem to care. "So consider this a favour."

Vi opened her mouth to retort but nothing came out. Caitlyn just took her silence as the only reply she needed and nodded, before hushing Ezreal towards the staircase and to the offices. She refused to meet the enforcer's eyes as she passed by, head held high and clearly ignoring the fact half the wardens present had witnessed the exchange.

The younger woman stood there until the other's steps were no longer heard on the wooden floor; she then let out a loud frustrated noise and stalked out of the Halls, pushing the heavy doors open with more strength than needed, causing the entire frame to make an awful rattling sound as it slammed shut behind her.

 **OoOoO**

Ezreal watched in silence as Caitlyn pushed her office door open and discarded her coat and hat, before slotting her riffle at its designated place against the wall near her desk. In the meantime, he closed the door behind himself and walked towards the heavy desk, eyes never leaving her form as she sat down and spared him a glance.

They locked eyes for only a second before she averted her gaze and refused to meet his eyes again. Her expression was neutral but there was a storm of emotions raging in her piercing blue eyes: disappointment, anger, regret... and a hint of sadness. She knew he saw through her façade and suddenly felt ashamed; he just stood there wondering how long it would take until her mask fell.

He knew her too well.

Minutes passed by, the only sound in the room the ticking of the heavy wall clock. Their silent argument to see who would break first came to an end when Ezreal decided to just sit down on the spare chair and cleaned his throat to get her attention.

"So like I said before, I'm in desperate need of your help."

Caitlyn seemed glad he wasn't going to push the subject, her features clearly showing it. "What sort of help would that be? I recall last time we had a private conversation you asked for my help to deal with some not-so-nice smugglers from Shurima. Did you make them upset again?"

"Oh no, I learned my lesson after that one, trust me. The subject this time is something more uh... personal." He spoke nervously, eyes darting across the room.

She raised a questioning eyebrow and leaned back on her chair. "I'm all ears."

"Well... uh... do you... Do you know Luxanna Crownguard?"

"Lux? I have had the pleasure to make her acquaintance a few times, over some high dignitary dinner parties at the mayor's mansion. She is a lovely girl."

"She is." The sheriff gave a knowing smile at his words, but he missed it. "We met when the entourage came to the museum to make sure the artefacts they were lending us would be properly secured. After that, she and I met briefly a few times both here and in Demacia and well... we sort of bonded over a few things. She's been helping me explore some old ruins back at her homeland so you could say we have been spending some time together lately."

"Sarah told me something like that a few days ago when I brought her in for questioning. Her tongue is always tied when it comes to the cargo she _'borrowed'_ from some ships but when it comes to gossip... She can talk for hours." She let out a sigh. "Rumour has it you two are a couple."

The explorer blushed furiously at this. "Of course, Miss Fortune... She gave us safe passage from Bilgewater a month or so ago, after Lux waved a heavy coin bag." He let out a snort. "Should have known she would start spreading things like that."

"It is not true then."

"Well, we are not a couple." Ezreal paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. "At least not yet. She keeps giving me hints that she may be interested but... I just can't bring myself to ask her out."

"Why not?"

"I don't know how to ask a girl out... I mean, what am I suppose to say to her? _'Hey Lux, you wanna be my girlfriend?'_ That sounds so lame."

"I am sure you will know what to say when the right time comes."

He made a disgusted noise. "That's your sage advise? I've been put on the spot multiple times before and the only thing that came out of my mouth were incoherent noises. I'm just lucky she finds me funny at least."

"Why not ask her out on a proper date then? There are lovely restaurants by the Mainspring Crescent."

"That sounds so... Cliché. If that's your entire idea on how a proper date needs to be, I'm not surprised you haven't taken on any of Jayce's offers."

Caitlyn crossed her arms above her chest. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, I guess in your book if one goes to have a fancy dinner together with someone of the opposite gender, it means you are dating. That's why you keep turning him down."

"That is quite the absurd notion; not to mention that is certainly not why I do not accept his invitations."

"Why not then? Would do you some good to go out and have fun. Tell me, how long has it been since you had a date?"

"That is none of your business." Her eyes narrowed. "Besides, I believe we were discussing your love life not mine."

He mimicked her position, crossing his arms above his chest. It seems he had finally found his opening. "So you do have a love life after all."

There was a flash of something in her eyes and had he not been paying close attention, he would have missed it. "I do not." Came the short reply.

Ezreal decided that was his cue to place the cards on the table. "Hmm, could have fooled me since you literally just put Vi in the dog house. And you did mention something about last night so..." He shrugged in a nonchalant way. "Since I have no idea what actually happened, I will just have to assume that half the city is right."

She bristled at his words. "Are you serious right now?" When he didn't reply, she continued. "You know bloody well those are not true."

"Then what is the truth, Cait?"

She opened her mouth to reply, only to close it almost immediately. She leaned back in her chair and uncrossed her arms, her eyes darting to the portrait that hung proudly on the wall to her right. It had been commissioned for her twenty-first birthday and it showed a still young Caitlyn sitting on her father's favourite armchair at the family house, hextech rifle laying on her lap. At her left stood her mother, modestly adorned and wearing her favourite ocean blue dress; at her right her father, from whom she had inherited her piercing blue eyes, had his hand firmly planted on her shoulder. The artist had done a magnificent job on the piece, having captured just how proud her parents were of her.

It made her stomach twist with guilt and she bit her lip. Ezreal had followed her gaze to the portrait for a moment, before focusing his attention back at her form. He watched quietly as a mix of emotions showed on her face, before she let out a long sigh.

Her eyes finally meet his again. "I feel like I am letting them down."

"Why is that?"

The sheriff slowly peeled her leather gloves off, placing them on her desk. She then rested her arms on the wooden surface and started fidgeting with her fingers, her gaze avoiding his again. "I have seen this job and finding out who 'C' is as my top priorities. The rest always felt like background noise and blurred lines... That is, until Vi came along."

Pausing for a moment, she opened one of the drawers of the heavy wooden desk and pulled out a simple silvery frame. A small genuine smile broke out and her gaze softened as she eyed the contents in it before handing it to Ezreal.

His eyes went wide as he took notice of the picture. A little girl, no more than six, sat on Caitlyn's lap, mouth covered in pink frosting, no doubt from one of the sheriff's famous cupcakes. Next to them sat Vi, holding a white napkin with pink stains. She seemed to be in the process of reaching to clean the child's mouth and had been caught mid laugh while the child was giving her a small pout; though what caught his attention was the warm expression on Caitlyn's face as she watched the interaction.

His eyes moved from the picture on his hands to her. "This almost looks like a family picture, Cait."

"She is the child I told you about, the one we rescued last year. We visit her sometimes and found out her birthday was coming up. She had never had a party before so... We threw a small impromptu one at her mother's house." She bit her lip slightly and looked guilty for a moment. "Vi has no idea about it; I have the only copy and never showed it to her."

The explorer handed the picture back to her. "Why not? I think she would love to see it."

She shook her head. "We both know she would make a big deal out of it." Caitlyn placed the frame neatly back into the drawer and closed it. "And I really do not want her to."

Ezreal leaned forward on his chair. "Because she's no longer just _'background noise and blurred lines'_ to you, isn't she?"

Caitlyn gave him a sad smile. "She is blissful silence and hard lines."


	5. Illuminate

Just a quick note: In my headcannon Caitlyn is 27 and Vi is 23, hence why sometimes I refer to an older and younger woman.

* * *

" _Tell me, what we're waiting for, have waited so long  
And tell me, what we gotta do to make right of my wrongs  
I'm on fire, can you see me burning?  
I am reckless for your love  
I'm more than a shadow dancing free  
I know that you see me more clearly  
But it'll mean nothing, it'll mean nothing  
It'll mean nothing without you" _

_Illuminate - WILDES_

 **OoOoO**

After wandering around for hours, Vi found herself in a small tavern tugged in a corner in the lower districts. The barkeeper, a small rowdy woman with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes was an old acquaintance of hers, the enforcer having kicked numerous drunkards on occasion. So as soon as the pink haired woman pushed the door open and dragged her feet to a more secluded table in the corner, the other woman immediately dropped what she was doing and grabbed a good bottle of liquor and two glasses.

Slowly, she approached Vi and gave her a once-over, before letting out a disgusted noise. Pulling out a chair, she sat down and dropped both glasses on the table with a loud 'thud'.

"You look like _shit_." She stated, in a thick Zaun accent. Lifting the bottle to her lips, she unceremoniously pulled the cork out from it with her teeth. "I'm guessing your sweet pastry turned you down last night."

Vi barely spared her a glance as she watched her pour some liquor into the glasses. "More like I chickened out, made a fool of myself, hurt her feelings and now she's so pissed she doesn't want to work with me." She reached for one of the glasses and drank it in one go, feeling the familiar burn of the alcohol on her throat. "That about sums it up."

"Didn't take ya for such a wuss. What was the problem? She's too high maintenance for your pay grade?"

"She's... different from the others."

The barkeeper, Olivia, let out a throaty laugh. "Can't say I disagree with that since she's from high town."

The enforcer shook her head. "That's not what I meant. She... makes me feel... things, you know? Like... those complicated and really _shitty_ things."

Eyebrow raised, the red haired woman eyed her with an unreadable expression, before giving her a toothy grin. "Oh, you mean the... _love_ kind." She spoke the word in a sultry voice, laughing when the other woman winced. "I honestly dunno if I should pity ya or laugh my _ass_ off... All this lovely available girls in town and you go and fall head over heels with the ice queen of uptown."

Vi let her head fall on the table with a 'thud' and groaned loudly. "You're not making me feel any better, Ollie."

The woman just let out a chuckle and refilled both theirs glasses. "Sorry, sorry... But tell me, what exactly happened yesterday then?"

Sparing no details, the pink haired woman told her exactly what had transpired the night before and just a few hours prior, occasionally pausing her long rant to take a sip of the dark liquor. Olivia remained silent during the entire time but refilled their glasses as needed, only excusing herself for a moment to yell a _'fuck off don't ya see I'm busy right now?!'_ to a rather rude patron that had barged in and was demanding a drink.

When Vi finished, the other woman just rolled her eyes. "You're a _fucking_ idiot. From all that, you know what I get? That she likes you. But you, instead of just growing some _tits_ and talking to her about it, decide- by yourself, I must add- that you're no good for her. Look here, you humming bird brained fool, that ain't for you to decide. You see, Ollie here is about to give you some free advice, so listen up!"

"At the moment I don't know if I can listen to anything coming out of your mouth after you insulted me."

"Shut up and open those tiny ears of yours real good. You being good enough for her, it's not for you to decide. That's for **her** to do so. You may be the most _shittiest_ person out there but when someone loves you for real, they will see past all those flaws you got going on and they will love you regardless. That's how love works."

"You sound like an expert all of the sudden for someone who's been single since she came out of the womb."

Olivia's face twitched at this. "Remind me not to give a _shit_ about you next time a girl turns your _fisting_ down."

Letting out a snort at the comment, Vi reached for the bottle, only to get her hand slapped away. "Oh come on, Ollie... I was just joking. But yeah, you're right I should just talk to her and if she turns me down well, at least I have you."

"If you're saying that just to get free booze from me, nice try. Also don't give me those puppy eyes of yours cuz this woman here-" She got up and pointed at herself. "Is too much for you to handle. Plus I heard the size of the gun matters to you and sadly I only own a tiny revolver."

They both laughed.

 **OoOoO**

Vi only returned to the Hall of Law well past ten thirty, having accepted Olivia's offer to join her for a late supper. Pushing the heavy doors open, she took a deep breath and a couple of tentative steps inside. Harknor, the desk-warden, eyed her over his steamy cup of coffee.

"Two sheriffs came asking for you this afternoon, Vi."

She stopped on her tracks and cursed internally. "I had some stuff I had to take care off. Was it anything important?"

"Just the usual guy-knows-more-than-he-tells situation. They have been booked for the night so whenever you got time, just read over the files and have a go at them. Though remember, they have to be in a talking state and no broken bones this time; surgeon is on vacation."

"Yeah, yeah..." Her eyes wandered to the wooden staircase that lead to the second floor. "Is Caitlyn in her office?"

His face became sombre as he straighten himself on his chair. "No, she's not."

"Where did she go? Home?"

Harknor put his cup down and pulled his heavy notebook closer, turning over a couple of pages. "She left shortly after a quarter past seven to deal with a disturbance at the docks. She left a note saying she would come back afterwards to fetch some files but..."

"She never came back." The desk-warden nodded in agreement. "The Sungate closed hours ago; she should have been back."

"Maybe she went home." He shrugged. "She didn't look that good this afternoon when she left."

"I'll go and take a look around the docks, just in case she's still around there somewhere. Thanks, Harknor."

Vi turned on her heel and hurried to the exit, as the man spluttered in surprise. "Bu-but Vi! What about those guys down on the holding cells?!"

"They can wait a few more hours before losing a couple of teeth!"

Before he could say anything else, she pushed the doors open and rushed into the night.

 **OoOoO**

The gun shot had come out of nowhere and still rang in her ears. A quick glance at her right leg, just below the knee told her what she already suspected: the bullet had grazed her skin just enough to leave an angry red line in its wake. Caitlyn mentally cursed herself for being so careless; it was obvious these smugglers weren't so happy to be caught red-handed with forbidden substances.

She had taken two of them down from the get-go, who were now laying unconscious somewhere from the effects of the electro-net. The other three, however, had managed to evade her by running into one of the warehouses. Due to the poor lighting and the tall heavy crates laying around, she had trouble making out their forms; although as she attempted to climb the narrow metal staircase to get to higher ground, one of the men had spotted her and tried his luck.

It was just a matter of time before they would figure out no one else was coming for them; she was even sure now they had some more men outside checking the area. The sheriff had stalled them long enough with misplaced shots and clever tricks, but as time passed by they grew more restless. She had found a hollow space between some crates and the wall, just big enough that she could kneel down and hide her form. It was the least ideal spot to be at; just a sitting duck for them to find. But she was hungry and tired, having skipped lunch in favour of cleaning some overdue paperwork that had piled up on top of one of the file cabinets.

Not to mention she had turned down offers of back-up, claiming it was probably nothing she couldn't handle on her own.

Oh how wrong she had been...

Her musings were interrupted when she heard footsteps dangerously close to where she was. Caitlyn shrunk further into the spot and made sure her rifle wasn't visible, before taking small even breathes to calm her now racing heart.

A voice sounded just above where she was hiding. "I think we both know how this is going to end, darling." A few more steps. "I say you come out from wherever you're hiding, drop your gun and we'll have a chat. A short and sweet one, of course."

Another voice spoke, clearly younger. "We can't touch her, she's a sheriff. Who knows how many years we'll catch for harming one."

"Kid's right." A third voice. "They probably won't even dump us in jail, we'll just be executed on the spot."

"Bah, nonsense." The first man spat, his voice thankfully sounding like he was moving away. "How can they catch us in the first place if there's no body? No body, no proof. You heard that, sheriff?" His voice raised a couple of octaves. "If you thought you would come out of this alive, guess again; I'm done playing games."

A loud gunshot sounded a few minutes later somewhere in the warehouse, making Caitlyn flinch. "Come out, bitch! We'll find you sooner or later!"

Just as she closed her eyes and thought this was it, the unmistakable sound of metal on metal tore through the warehouse, before a familiar voice spoke.

"Bit late to be out here, isn't it boys?" More footsteps, followed by a groan and a thud. "I'm not in mood to have to chase you down so... step closer and drop whatever the _fuck_ you have as weapons and I promise you your faces will remain intact."

Silence. "Come on, this is a limited time offer and it's about to expire..."

A gunshot, followed by another and another. Vi just let out a disgruntled noise, before activating her _blast shield_ and vaulting in. Wood and metal crushed under her gauntlets, followed by the familiar sound of bones snapping as she pinned down one of the men, dropping his unconscious form unceremoniously on the ground.

The last one she found hiding in a corner, behind a large stack of metal cases. His eyes went ridiculously wide as he took note of her thunderous expression; he immediately dropped his gun and lifted his hands up in surrender.

The enforcer, however, was having none of it. She reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his dirty shirt, lifting him up in the air. "Offer expired." She spat out as the man kicked his feet around, trying to find some foothold somewhere. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rearrange your face right now."

"Please I was just following orders! I-"

"Okay, let's try this one more time. Where's the sheriff?"

"I don't know!"

"Eh. Wrong answer."

She pulled her free hand back and the man closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable. But before it could connect, a female voice sounded from somewhere behind them.

"That's enough, Vi. We need him to be able to talk."

Vi spun around to face her partner, dropping the man in the process. He landed hard on the ground, bumping his head on a heavy case, making Caitlyn wince. The enforcer however, seemed completely oblivious to this, her eyes solemnly focused on the other woman.

"Cupcake!" She stepped closer, eyeing her from head to toe. "You look like crap." She took note of how the sheriff seemed to be favouring her left leg and her face fell. "And you're hurt."

"It is nothing, just a graze below the knee."

"Let me look at it."

"Vi, I am serious. It is really nothing."

"Caitlyn, please. Let me at least help you outside so we can look at it properly with better light."

The pleading tone pulled at the sheriff's heartstrings and she felt guilt twist in her stomach, as she recalled how badly she had treated the other woman that morning. However, she was drained beyond words so her only reply was a small nod as she allowed Vi to carry her.

She was gently placed on top of a stack of wooden crates, under one of the glow lamps at the pier. The enforcer made quick work of taking off her gauntlets before her warm hands touched Caitlyn's cold skin, making her shiver slightly. Her eyes immediately scanned the area just below the sheriff's knee, her thumb gently tracing the area that had turned blue.

"Nasty bruise but yeah it does look like it's just a graze. You got lucky." Her gaze moved up and she frowned as she took notice at how pale the other woman looked. "You don't look so good. Did you skip dinner again?"

"May have."

"For _fuck's_ sake, Caitlyn!" She stood up, furiously patting her pockets. "As if it wasn't bad enough that you marched your way down here alone, you do so without food on your stomach." She made a small victory noise as she pulled out a small chocolate bar from her pocket and handed it to her. "Eat this, you need some sugar."

Skilled hands made quick work on the wrapper before the older woman frowned and let out a disgusted noise. "This is half melted."

"Well too bad, isn't it? Like excuse me if my body temperature raised a couple of degrees because I had to pull _someone_ out of danger." She crossed her arms above her chest. "Seriously, what were you even thinking? Coming out here to the docks alone at night without back-up!"

"I thought it was just some disagreement over cargo." Caitlyn replied in a nonchalant way before taking a small bite out of the chocolate. "Would have been a waste of time to drag someone else along for that."

"For someone who usually thinks two or three steps ahead of everyone else, you sure miscalculated this time. Do you realize what could have happened if I hadn't shown up?!"

"Vi, I'm fine, okay? Just leave it. I am not the mood for this right now."

"Are you _fucking_ serious right now?!" Her voice raised a couple of octaves and the other woman flinched. "You don't get to give me that _shit_!"

"Keep your voice down."

"Like hell I will! You could have died, Cait. Do you _fucking_ realize that, uh? Do you?! You got lucky I went to check if you were in the office before I headed home. What would have happened if I didn't?"

"Vi, I get it, alright? I messed up, I was not thinking clearly and I should have let someone else handle it. I should have eaten dinner, I should have headed home..." The sheriff's voice dropped just above a whisper. "But most of all, I should have not went off on you like I did this morning." She reached a tentative hand towards the other woman. "I am really sorry, I truly am."

The younger woman's features softened and she took her partner's hand in hers. "Nah, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have been such a coward in the first place." When the other woman made a confused face, she added. "Last night, I went to your place for a reason."

Caitlyn's heart thundered in her chest as she spoke. "And that was?"

A smile. "I'll tell you over a warm meal and some coffee, deal?"

"Deal. Let's just first send word; someone needs to come pick up these guys."


	6. Stargazing

" _You're saying it's hopeless, that I should hope less_

 _Heaven can help us, well maybe "she" might_

 _You say it's beyond us, what is beyond us?_

 _Let's see and decide"_

 _Stargazing - Kygo_

 **OoOoO**

There was only one place Vi knew that would still be open after midnight and where not too many questions would be asked. Caitlyn didn't seem very happy to be dragged all the way to the lower districts, having pleaded with her partner multiple times to just be taken home instead.

"Seriously, why can't you just take me home? There should still be something on the fridge we could warm up."

The enforcer snorted. "From when? Last week or last month?"

A pout. "Now you are just being mean."

"No, I'm being realistic. Now hush before I carry you bridal style and embarrass you in front of all the drunks and criminals lurking about."

The protest died on the sheriff's lips as they dove down a barely lit alley and found themselves in front of a small tavern. She looked at her partner and frowned; Vi just smiled as she pushed the door open and gently guided her inside.

Olivia paused her motions, broom in hand. Her green eyes scanned the two women as she took their disgruntled state in. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Ollie! Please tell me you still have some of that amazing soup of yours."

"May have..." She spoke with an uncertain tone to her voice, leaning her broom against the wall. "Let me go check."

The barkeeper moved behind the counter and disappeared through a small door, shaking her head as she went and muttering something under her breath.

Caitlyn just blinked. "I take it you two know each other?"

"Yeah, Olivia and I have been friends for some time now." She gestured towards one of the tables to their left. "I used to come around and clean the house for her a couple of nights a week; in exchange I would get some food and drink." When her partner made a face, she quickly added; "That was before we partnered up, of course! Don't worry, your enforcer isn't breaking a couple of noses off-duty... much, I guess."

She just shook her head as she moved to take a seat on one the chairs, her back towards the counter. Taking off her hat and making sure her rifle was safely placed next to her, her eyes focused on Vi as she sat down across from her.

Their gazes met and they remained in awkward silence for a few minutes. Just when the younger woman was about to finally open her mouth to say something, Olivia approached and roughly placed a bowl of steaming soup in front of the sheriff.

"You got lucky your friend here didn't finish the pot I made for today." She pointed at the pink haired woman. "She sure got an appetite... Still no idea how you people afford to pay for her groceries."

"Ah, ah, very funny. Thanks Ollie."

"No, really. How do you guys do it? I know she occasionally raids your sweets- Oh that reminds me, would love to have the recipe for those tiny pastries, you know, the ones with pink frosting-"

" _Thanks_ Ollie _._ " Vi spoke through gritted teeth. "I think the lady here would like to eat her soup in _peace_ so if you could just..."

"Oh right, right! I am so sorry, sheriff. This humble servant is going to go now..."

The barkeeper gave the enforcer a look, before muttering a _'you'll pay for that you fucking rascal'_ under her breath as she took her leave. A shiver ran down the younger woman's spine but Caitlyn just seemed amused at the entire exchange, going as far as letting out a soft laugh. She grabbed the spoon and carefully poked at the contents of the bowl, before spooning up a bit of the green liquid and bringing it closer to her lips.

"It smells funny."

"It's just spinach soup."

"Does not look like spinach soup to me."

"I promise it is and that it's really tasty. Now eat up!"

For a moment, it looked like the older woman was about to refuse as she just eyed her spoon suspiciously; but after a few seconds she pushed it past her lips and let out a pleased noise.

Vi just laughed, content to just sit there and watch her partner eat in silence. Her eyes eventually wandered to the counter and she found Olivia was trying to get her attention by waving her arms frantically.

When the barkeeper noticed she had the enforcer's attention, she pointed a finger at her and then pointed at Caitlyn, followed by her two hands mimicking two people talking.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was trying to say.

The enforcer averted her gaze and started to fidget with her fingers under the table, now free of the constraints of her heavy gauntlets. She took a quick glance back at Olivia, before focusing her attention on her partner again.

She opened her mouth, closed it. Did it again a couple of times, with no success. And then...

"So... This weather has been kinda weird lately, uh?"

Olivia just facepalmed.

They were kicked out shortly after Caitlyn had finished her meal, once the barkeeper realized there was no way in hell, Vi would talk about her feelings before the bells chimed two.

 **OoOoO**

The air was unusually warm for a spring night and despite the late hour, Vi never felt more alive. As they made their way through the now completely vacant streets, she felt the exhaustion that had set on her limbs earlier rolling out in waves with every step she took. Caitlyn walked next to her, heels clicking on the cobblestones at a steady rhythm. She looked beyond tired but her bright eyes were darting around, no doubt taking notice at how everything seemed different in the dim orange light of the glow lamps.

She could have even sworn she had caught the sheriff stealing glances in her direction a few times.

Her partner's voice interrupted her musings. "Have you noticed at how nearly impossible it is to see the stars?"

Blinking in surprise, Vi let out a quiet chuckle. "I didn't take you for the stargazer type, cupcake."

"I am not." She replied, shaking her head. "I just thought that was something everyone did at some point in their lives; looking up and taking in the vastness of the stars..." Her voice took on a warm note that made Vi's heart sway dangerously, but just as quick as it came it was gone. "Sorry, I guess I am just too tired to make any sense."

A quiet _hmm_ escaped the younger woman's lips in reply and they fell into a comfortable silence again, the only sound left was their steps echoing against the walls. Her mind began to drift to what her partner had said about the stars and how her blue eyes had burned with an unexpected longing.

The past days hadn't been kind to either of them, feelings burning in between the lines with flames so bright they were threatening to consume them and leave nothing behind. Vi felt guilty beyond reason, mostly due to what suppressing her feelings was doing to their relationship; she hadn't a shadow of doubt Caitlyn felt the same so why couldn't things be easier?

Maybe it was that easy. Maybe she was the one making up complications and raising obstacles because she was afraid of what would happen. Maybe she should put herself at the sheriff's mercy and let her have a say in the mess that is her heart.

Olivia had been right after all and suddenly everything clicked into place, like the fine pieces of a puzzle.

She halted her steps suddenly and glancing to her side, she found the older woman staring at her expectantly, eyebrow slightly raised in question. Grinning in reply, she reached one massive gauntlet to gently grip Caitlyn's free hand, tugging her along as she crossed the plaza towards the botanical garden.

They came to a stop by the heavy yet beautiful decorated iron gates and Vi frowned when she realized it had been closed and locked for the night. Glancing around to make sure they were completely alone, she let go of her partner's wrist and reached for the brass iron bars.

The sheriff's eyebrows furrowed and her lips drew in a thin line before her hushed voice reached the other woman's ears. "Vi... What do you think you are doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm breaking us in."

"You do realize we are the ones who are supposed to keep these things from happening, right?"

A shrug. "You're the law, they'll understand."

Before she could object, the hextech gauntlets came to life with a _hiss_ as the younger woman gripped the left side of the gate tighter, before applying pressure on the right side. She gritted her teeth as her right shoulder pushed forward and Caitlyn held her breath as the lock gave away and the gate screeched as it opened.

She had no time to protest however as her partner hushed her inside into the garden. Their forms were shrouded in nearly complete darkness as they walked along the small trail of rare flowers and other specimens, Vi leading them like she knew the place like the back of her hand.

Pushing through an especially thick brush, a crystalline lake came into view. It marked the centre of the garden, surrounded by tall trees and thick bushes, and was fed by a natural spring. It was the only place in Piltover where nature could be admired in all its glory, a little piece of heaven in the technological neck of the woods that was the City of Progress.

The sheriff found herself admiring the breathtaking view, her eyes scanning the entire area around them. She took a few tentative steps into the soft grass, eyes wide in wonder as she took note of how everything seemed to glow in the faint silver light that was emanating from somewhere above them.

The younger woman smiled at the sight before clicking her heavy gauntlets off, leaning them against a large tree trunk, and made her way to the edge of the lake. Crouching down, she dipped her hands in the cold water and let out a sigh in sweet relief. The enforcer closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the small sense of peace, only to open them again when she heard movement behind her.

Turning her face slightly, she watched with baited breath as Caitlyn walked towards one of the trees closer to the water and set her riffle aside, before leaning her back against the smooth bark. Her right leg arched as her heel came to rest on the trunk and she reached to take her hat off, free hand tangling in raven locks to tousle her hair slightly. A sigh escaped her lips afterwards, piercing blue eyes darting around for a moment before focusing on the enforcer.

Vi felt herself shivering and she knew the cold water wasn't at fault.

Her attention was diverted to the lake again but she knew she was being watched; before she could even register what was happening, words came rolling down her tongue.

"Cait, have you ever wondered what it would be like if we were the last people on earth?"

There was a long pause before she heard her partner's voice. "What brought that question up?"

"I was just wondering if things would be easier if it was just you and me."

"Well, it depends I suppose. For one, there wouldn't be any criminal scum left for you to beat up. I think you would grow bored if that were the case."

"I would have you though."

Another pause. "You have me."

Vi stood and wiped her hands clean on her jeans, before turning to face the other woman. "Do I?"

"Of course. I am here with you now, am I not?"

"That's not what I meant."

She watched Caitlyn tilting her head slightly and raising an eyebrow, before she blinked in realization. Her posture stiffened almost immediately and she could see hurt flashing behind her eyes. "Is that why you brought me here, Vi? To play more games?"

Stomach twisting, the enforcer felt like she had just been punched in the gut. Taking a tentative step and then another, she slowly approached the sheriff, stopping just before she could cross her personal space.

"I'm not playing any games, Cait. Look, I..." She swallowed hard, carefully measuring her words. "That night, at your place... I never wanted to kiss you so bad. Hearing Jayce saying that you have feelings for me just felt so good. But at the same time, it didn't feel right."

When the other woman didn't say anything, she continued. "I started to think about the rumours and the things people say about me and how I didn't want them to be talking like that about you. Not to mention you worked so hard to get where you are now, to have people respect you and look up to you." A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "Wouldn't be fair to make you risk losing all that just to be with me."

Blue eyes narrowed at this. "That is not for you to decide, is it?"

"No, I guess it's not."

A soft expression took over her features when she noticed the dejected look that crossed Vi's face and without a thought, she reached for the enforcer's hand, taking it gently in hers. The other woman was surprised by the gesture but didn't shy away from the touch; although she was still wondering where they stood now that she had opened up about her feelings.

However, her doubts instantly melted away when the sheriff flashed that small warm smile of hers and without pause, Vi closed the gap between them and their lips met.

Caitlyn's mind went completely blank and she felt her heart racing at the soft brush of lips against hers. It started slow and tentative, like they were testing the waters; but after a few minutes she felt the graze of teeth against her lower lip and all inhibition was soon forgotten. Her hat slipped out of her grip and tumbled to the floor as her hand came to rest on Vi's waist while the other made quick work of lacing their fingers together.

They only separated when the need for air became too much and they found each other's eyes again. The enforcer couldn't hide the grin that grew at the sight of the other woman's parted lips and flushed cheeks, looking at her through half lidded eyes. Her left hand moved from its place against the smooth trunk to tangle in raven locks, admiring how soft they felt against her skin as a content sigh escaped the sheriff's bruised lips at the touch.

"You're so beautiful, Cait."

"Flatterer."

"Trying to." She leaned in again, this time resting their foreheads together. "You know I'm not one to buy flowers and ask daddy for permission. I don't know how to do this relationship... 'thing'." Pausing for a moment, she let the words sink in. "I just really don't want to _fuck_ this up."

"You won't, Vi."

"How can you be so sure of that?"

A smile graced her lips as she spoke. "Because I know you. I have seen just how passionate you can be, so have a little more faith in yourself."

"It's because I know me that I'm telling you this."

"We will be okay."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

They stood there, holding each other for a little longer before exhaustion finally started to set in and only then did they separate to gather their things. As they turned to leave, Vi nudged Caitlyn's arm gently and pointed up.

High in the dark sky, the full moon was framed by a million of shimmering stars.


	7. Snapshots I

Just a small glimpse at how Piltover's Finest got to be in the first place.

* * *

 _ **'Fight Club'**_

" _Throw my hands up, 'cause I had enough  
It's coming to a head, like it always does  
Come and show me what you're made of"_

 _Fight Club – Lights_

 **OoOoO**

The old wooden door creaked loudly as she pushed it open, revealing a seedy tavern full of chatty and loud patrons, most of them which she recognized from wanted posters. The smell of piss, vomit and unwashed bodies hit her nose like a tidal wave and she was never more happy to have skipped supper. Silence fell as she made her way through the tables, her heels clicking heavy on the dirty floorboards. She could tell they were watching her every move, some even reaching for concealed and no doubt illegal weapons. The grip on her riffle tightened to the point her knuckles surely turned white under her leather gloves.

She had to remind herself that this was worth the risk.

Reaching the counter, she found the servant eyeing her with disdain. His hands had been cheaply augmentated; same as his left eye, she noticed, when he unceremoniously spit into a cup before cleaning it with a cloth.

Caitlyn scrunched up her nose in disgust.

He gave her a once-over, before speaking loudly in a heavy Zaunite accent. "Ah, one of the high and mighty sheriffs of Piltover gracing us, humble citizens, with her presence...", he paused as some of the patrons started to snarl at his words. "What can this upstanding citizen do for you today, uh?"

"Skip the pleasantries; I am here for information."

"Straight to the point I see. I'mma warn you though, some folks here don't appreciate your kind butting in their business so... I may not have an answer for you."

She pulled out a sketch of a young woman with unruly hair, a distinctive tattoo with the Roman numeral VI marring her cheek. "Have you seen her? She has been spotted in the lower districts wearing chem powered massive fists."

He barely spared it a glance. "Can't say I have."

"Are you sure about that? I hear she has been somewhat... problematic to some of your patrons. I am sure they would appreciate getting her out of their businesses without moving a finger."

The man looked around the tavern, receiving a couple of unperceived nods in his direction. Leaning on the counter, closer to the sheriff, he spoke in a low tone this time. "Some of the fellas here have seen her hanging around by the foundry quarters. And that's all I can tell ya."

She nodded in acknowledgement, pocketing the sketch back to her jacket. Turning on her heel, she made her way to the exit, her piercing icy eyes darting around watching for any sign of trouble. Silence once again accompanied her steps, but it was broken when the bartender's booming voice sounded behind her.

"I really don't know why you bastards are trying to catch that chick if she's doing your damn job better than you could ever do."

A cloud of laugh and cheers erupted all around and she paused her motions, slowly turning around to face the dirty man. He gave her a smug, toothless grin as he raised a glass full of a dark liquid in cheers.

The sound of a gun rang strong against the dirty walls a second later, followed by glass shattering. The bartender barely had time to register what had happen as the burning liquor cascaded down his augmented hand and shards embedded themselves between its metal joints.

The illegal tavern fell into silence again as the occupants watched with baited breath and the sheriff blew the smoke out of the barrel of her riffle, the corner of her mouth twitching in a small grin.

"Cheers."

 **OoOoO**

The foundry quarters were dry and way too hot for a chilly autumn night. The streets were completely empty but Caitlyn knew there were eyes watching her in every corner. Coming alone to this area was a sure risk but she knew bringing in an extra body or two made her chances of finding this girl impossible.

Not to mention her intentions were not primarily of the warden's concerns.

As she walked around, eyes scanning for any immediately danger or clues, she found herself in a predicament: the only way through the area was a narrow and dark pathway between two shady buildings.

It seemed just the perfect place to lay an ambush.

Taking a step back, she gave the heavy brick walled places a glance, hoping that perhaps flashing her badge would gain her safe passage to the other street. Sadly, both places seemed completely abandoned and in high risk of ruin, heavy locks on every door and window.

Letting out a frustrated groan, she eyed the pathway again and weighed her options: either give up for the night and go back home empty handed or throw caution to the wind and venture in. Guided by instinct, she took a step forward and the another, until her form was completely shadowed by darkness.

The place was a complete mess.

The floor was littered with all sorts of scrap metal, garbage and some sticky liquid which she kept digging her heels in, making it hard to walk. The walls became impossibly narrow at some point, making her bump her elbows against the dirty stone. She let out a quiet curse when the smell of something putrid reached her nostrils and her foot kicked something that squished on impact.

The urge to turn around and leave grew with every burdened step she took, until a faint light and the outline of a street came into view again. Caitlyn rushed her pace, trying not to trip, and only stopped when she was out in the open again. She took a deep breath before looking down and inspecting her boots. A dark red sticky liquid had made several patterns on the once polished leather; there were also several splatters of it on her once pristine tail coat. The sheriff scrunched her face, dreading to think in what she had just stepped.

Vowing to dump all her clothes in a fire and take a bath in the hottest water she could endure, she finally glanced around at her surroundings, her face paling at the sight.

It was a dead end.

 **OoOoO**

Caitlyn quickly ran a few mental checks and cursed herself for being so careless. Pacing like a caged tiger, she ran the maps of the south quarters she had studied so carefully beforehand, wondering if she had taken a wrong turn somewhere; but it seemed like that wasn't case. She came to a stop next to one of the walls, hand reaching for the heavy metal there.

It felt new and too polished under her palm; also too warm.

Something wasn't right.

Heart racing, she turned on her heel and made it to the pathway again as quickly as possible, only to abruptly come to a stop and let out an audible gasp when she noticed a tall figure was blocking the way.

Shrouded in darkness, it was hard to discern any features aside from the weight. Blood pounding in her ears, Caitlyn choose to take a cautionary step back and then another, eyes never leaving the strange silhouette. Hands slowly and unsteady reaching behind her back, she unstrapped her riffle and slowly brought it into view, a clear warning that she was armed.

The stranger let out a chuckle, making one of the sheriff's eyebrows raise.

"Ya know... If I wanted to hurt you, you would already be on the floor nursing that pretty little nose of yours."

The voice was crude but clearly feminine, with a unmistakable Zaunite accent. Something inside told her she had found just what she was looking for, but she choose to remain cautious. There was a slight movement, like the woman was giving Caitlyn a once-over, before she bristled.

"You're one of the wardens. A sheriff even." The woman spat on the ground, possibly to show her disgust. "Finally come to get me, uh? You got some guts showing your face around here alone, cupcake. Should have waited for your buddies."

"No one else is coming." She was surprised how steady her voice sounded, even though her entire body shook with adrenaline. "I came alone and no one knows that I am here."

"You gotta be either pretty brave or pretty stupid to tell me that."

"I am telling you the truth because I came here looking for you for a reason." The sheriff lowered her riffle slightly as she spoke. "And I need you to trust me."

The other woman let out a laugh. "I think the toxic fumes were a bit too much for that fancy brain of yours. Tell me, cupcake, why the _fuck_ would I trust you, uh? You're a _fucking_ sheriff working for the wardens. You walk in here and just because you came alone, you think that'll be stupid enough to just play your games? I know damn well what you are capable of with that toy of yours."

"That saves me time in introducing myself at least." In slow, deliberated moves she strapped her riffle back to its place and even though she couldn't see the other woman's face, she could sense her surprise. "Well? Are you going to actually show your face so we can talk like adults? I am not here to arrest you; I am here to just have a chat."

Hesitant at first, the screeching sound of metal against brick accompanied the woman's steps until her entire figure was basked in the dim light of the glow lamps. Standing a few centimetres taller than Caitlyn, the sketch the wardens had gave her did her little justice.

With unruly pink hair shaved on one side, vibrant blue eyes that seemed to pierce the soul, bulky figure that looked even more menacing with those chem powered golem fists and that signature tattoo, she looked more like something out of one of those graphic novels teenagers read so much instead of a real person.

The sheriff didn't suppress her awe and the other woman seemed pleased with her reaction, flashing her a toothy grin.

"You are quite young."

"Not too young for you, I hope."

Cleaning her throat, she tried to ignore the double meaning. "Can I ask you your name?"

"Name's Vi."

Caitlyn blinked. "Like the tattoo?"

"Yep."

"Is that short for something? What's your full name?"

"It's just Vi. No last name, not short for anything."

"Alright..." She was uncertain that was the truth, but decided to let it go for the time being. "Well, Vi, I came here to offer you a deal."

The woman tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing. "What kind of a deal?"

"One that would benefit both parties, I believe. You see, I have been keeping an eye on you for a while now..."


	8. Snapshots II

This chapter is completely new and was not on the first version on this story. I co-wrote it together with my girlfriend and it's a glimpse on how Vi started to have feelings for Caitlyn.

* * *

 _ **'Devotion'**_

" _Let the chaos disappear  
Don't you know I'm always there for you?"_

 _Devotion – Ellie Goulding_

 **OoOoO**

Patrolling the south of Piltover was one of Vi's least favourite tasks but one of the most important ones. She was still getting used to work on the right side of law and its endless rules and she had been itching to punch something. Nowadays all the petty criminals the wardens would apprehend would have sealed lips during interrogation, right until she would walk in. The sight of her massive hextech gauntlets was enough to make them piss themselves without Vi having to lift a finger and she would miss the chance to have her fists getting acquainted with their faces.

Caitlyn had been tirelessly working from day one to show the wardens Vi was a valuable asset, not only because of her brute force but also due to her knowledge of the criminal scene. Being well known in certain circles also gave her access to places and information that allowed justice to be swiftly delivered.

There was still a lot of distrust however, so the enforcer would mostly hide in the sheriff's shadow, doing the small things that the older woman considered were important to show everyone Vi was as committed to the job as everyone else.

Small things like patrolling the south of the city, where pick-pocketers and other petty thieves liked to operate.

She let out a _humph_ in annoyance as she crossed Horologica Avenue and sneaked a quick glance towards where the Apprenta quarters were located. She had overheard some wardens talking about suspicious activity around the area and took a mental note to make more time on her schedule to investigate.

A couple of twists and turns later, she found herself in the Sidereal Avenue and the smell of fresh baked goods filled her nostrils like a blessing. A small but somehow exquisite bakery had opened not so long ago and it had became an important stop for Vi before she would return home or to the Hall of Law.

She pushed the door open, a small bell ringing to announce the presence of a customer. On any other day, the owner would have greeted her personally, however that didn't seem to be the case today.

Two young men, dressed modestly, stood by the cash register. Their faces were laced with disbelief and disappointment as the man behind the counter gestured big and spoke in a sharp tone.

"Again, I am sorry but I can't help you, gentlemen. This establishment does not provide those kind of... services, I'm afraid."

"My cousin Clara said you made her wedding cake. Why can't you make ours?" One of the man asked before gesturing to himself and his companion. "I know we don't look like much, sir, but I assure you we can pay for the service."

"That is not the problem, young man. I know your family and I know you wouldn't come here if you couldn't afford it. But like I said before already, I can't help you."

"Why?" The other man spoke in a harsher tone. "Is it because we are two men? If we were a regular couple you would have accepted to bake the cake without a second thought."

"Please, Richard, I don't think that's the problem..."

"But it is! Don't you see? He's discriminating us!"

"If you don't watch your tone, I will have to ask you to leave." The owner warned, finger pointing at the enforcer. "We have a member of the wardens here and I am sure she won't mind escorting you two out."

The two men turned, their eyes wide in fear at the sight of the enforcer. The owner seemed pleased by their reaction, barely hiding his smugness. Vi, on the other hand, seemed throughout uncomfortable for being put on the spot _._

But she was also very angry.

She reached the counter in a few quick strides and the two men broke apart, taking several steps back to gain distance. Her focus however was solely on the owner of the bakery, who had the decency to look surprised at her approach.

"I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be straight with me." She pointed a massive metal finger at him. "Are you refusing to serve them because of their sexuality?"

The man huffed and puffed, his neck flushing red. "It has nothing to do with it. They are free to do whatever they want in their private time but to walk in here and ask for a wedding cake? It doesn't sound right."

Vi frowned at his reply. "And why not?"

"They are both men and then want to get married... It's against the natural order of things. I want no part in it." He pulled out a handkerchief and started to dab at his forehead where sweat beads were starting to show. "Like I said, whatever they do in their own time, all fine by me. But you have to understand, these kind of things make people talk. It can't be good for business."

"You can't tell me being a complete _ass hole_ is good for business either." She let out a snort and pointed at herself. "Would you deny me service if I walked in here to buy pastries and told you that they were for my girl?"

The two men shared a knowing look between themselves while the store owner seemed at a loss for words. His eyes were wide and his jaw had dropped slightly; he gave the enforcer a once over before his brow furrowed.

"I didn't think you were, but that's not the point. I don't want my name associated with a gay wedding."

"So you are discriminating after all! I may not know all these fancy rules you guys have up here but I'm pretty sure there's one against the kind of _shit_ you're trying to pull here."

The man seemed to finally snap, hands slamming down on the counter in front of him. His face was completely red now. "Look here, miss-"

He was interrupted when the bell rung, announcing the entrance of a slightly puffed man dressed in an unmistakeably wardens uniform. Vi turned her face and immediately recognized him as Mohan, a warden Caitlyn sometimes chose to partner with.

 _'What's he doing here?!'_ she thought as she watched him scanning the scene.

"Good afternoon." Mohan spoke, tilting his top hat ever so slightly in greeting. "I heard a commotion so I had to check." His eyes landed on the enforcer, noticing the anger emanating from her stiff posture and furrowed eyebrows. "Wouldn't expect such ruckus in a bakery."

"I'm glad you're here, warden." The owner seemed relieved. "Maybe you can tell this men and your enforcer that I'm breaking no laws and please escort them out of my establishment."

Vi whipped her head around like she had been burned. "Breaking no laws? AH. What a joke. You're refusing to bake a cake for these men because you're a homophobic piece of trash."

"How dare you accuse me of-"

"Enough." The warden spoke in an authoritarian manner. "Vi, stand down and let me handle this, please." The young woman was about to protest but he gave her a sharp glare. "Now... From what I'm understanding, these two men here came here to order a cake, am I correct?"

One of the men, Richard, replied. "That's right, sir. For our wedding."

Mohan gave him a small nod in acknowledgement before turning his attention to the owner. "And you refused to take their order?"

"Yes. I have my reasons for it, which I already explained to your enforcer here. But instead of taking them and move on, both her and these men are refusing to leave and are accusing me of discrimination!"

"I see. Well the law says that you are allowed to refuse a service for whatever reasons it may be. So I'm sorry gentlemen, you may have to just go look for someone else to help you out."

One of the men seemed like he was about to protest, but their partner just shook their head. Both bid their good days and exited the place, looking defeated. Vi watched this with utter disbelief and anger, glaring daggers in Mohan's direction.

"Now, is there anything else I can help you with before me and the enforcer take our leave?"

The owner seemed to consider this for a moment, looking at the young woman. "As long as she agrees to not set foot in my shop any more, that will be all."

Vi opened her mouth, no doubt to tell the man to shove it, but Mohan was quicker to reply. "She won't. You have my word and the sheriff's, I'm sure."

The man seemed satisfied with the answer and his face turned smug as Vi was politely asked to take her leave with the warden. She seemed hesitant for a moment, fists ready to break some bones but chose against it when she remind herself Caitlyn had been specific about attacking unarmed citizens.

She muttered a _'I got your number pal'_ , as she stepped out back into the street, now a very faint orange in the late afternoon. Vi let out a growl as she glanced at the warden and started to walk towards the north in long strides. Mohan struggled to keep up with her pace and steeled himself for the outburst that he knew was coming.

"Why did Caitlyn send you to check on me, uh? All that _bs_ talk about trust being a two-ways street and then she has me watched like I'm some punk kid." Her tone was harsh and raw, words like knifes. "I'm not her dog and I don't need a _fucking_ leash."

He flinched at her choice of words, still struggling to keep up. "It's not that she doesn't trust you, Vi. She just asked me to keep an eye on you and lend you a hand in case you needed it. You're still learning the ropes after all."

"She should have told me that herself before going behind my back."

"Would you have accepted that? No, you wouldn't. She's just looking out for you, kid."

"I'm not a _'kid_ and I don't need a babysitter." Vi glanced behind herself at the warden. "Especially not one that lets homophobic trash like that baker get away with it."

"He did nothing against the law, Vi. He has the freedom to refuse service, no matter the reasons behind it."

"His reasons were crystal clear to me. You wouldn't get it because you don't know what is like to have people giving you _shit_ for who you go to bed with. The looks, the insults, the refusal to provide you with stuff... It's almost a daily struggle. And I honestly thought that wasn't a reality here in the so-called..." She gestured widely around them. "… City of Progress."

Mohan just nodded but said nothing. They had just crossed the Techmaturgy bridge and were now in the north of the city, where the Hall of Law was located. Some of the streets were still busting with activity, especially Mainspring Crescent where all the supper clubs, bistros and cafes were slowly filling up for the evening.

Some more fashionable nobles with graceful ladies on their arms gave Vi a disgruntled look and began whispering in low tones, something the enforcer was becoming accustomed with and always shrugged off.

But today that wasn't case.

Her posture deflated considerably and her eyes, which were usually sparkling with mirth, were now dulled and nearly devoid of colour. Her pace also slowed and Mohan was finally able to walk by her side, without breaking a sweat. Noticing the sudden change, he stole a glance from the corner of his eye and as on cue his ears slowly started to pick up the whispers of the bad tongues around them.

Mohan began to wonder if indeed this wasn't the City of Progress after all.

 **OoOoO**

The pair entered the Hall of Law just as the city lighters began igniting the glow lamps outside. Most wardens had already left for the day but a few remained, either because they were assigned to the night watch or were still finishing reports.

Harknor, the desk-warden, was the first to notice something wasn't right when Vi barely spared him a glance, choosing to just drag herself forwards past the reception and into the area were all the working desks were located.

"What's the matter with her?" He inquired, eyebrows raised in surprise. "First time she walks through those doors and doesn't want to regal me with one of her wild tales."

"Long day." Mohan replied shortly as he came to a stop near the desk. "Caitlyn still here?"

"Yep, in her office. She just came back from the docks, some sailors were being difficult again about the Sun Gates closing for the night."

"Can't say I'm not glad I missed that."

They nodded at each other before Mohan took his leave from him. He found Vi sitting on an empty desk, her massive gauntlets resting on her lap. She still looked as dejected as before and the other wardens were stealing glances in her direction, most baffled by the sight.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, he made his way to the staircase leading to the offices, in hopes Caitlyn could do something about it.

 **OoOoO**

Heels clicking on the polished wood of the stairs preceded the sheriff's arrival in the room fifteen minutes later. The wardens present immediately busied themselves with whatever tasks they had as she scanned the area, her eyes falling on the prone form of the enforcer. Vi hadn't moved at all during the time it took Mohan to go upstairs and bring the situation to Caitlyn's attention, hoping she could sooth the situation over with her partner.

Taking a few steps, she stood directly in front of the younger woman, gaze softening at the sight. Vi took a few moments to notice her partner but barely spared her a glance when she did.

"If you're here to yell at me, turn around and shove it. I'm not in the mood."

"Why do you always assume every time I walk up to you here means you are in trouble?"

The enforcer just shrugged. "Isn't that how it's supposed to go? Me doing something stupid and you showing up afterwards, all high and mighty, to give the others a good show? Gotta let them know you got your dog on a short leash."

Caitlyn frowned at her words. "I told you already to stop calling yourself _'my dog'._ You are my partner and an enforcer to the warden force." The other woman let out a snort, but said nothing and the sheriff decided then to put her cards on the table. "Mohan told me what happened in the bakery."

That seemed to earn her a reaction as Vi's eyes met hers. "Oh yeah? Did he also tell you that he let some entitled _ass face_ get way with treating two human beings like trash?"

"Vi, he just did what he thought was best. You were angry and Mohan thought the best course was to try and defuse the situation before it got out of hand."

"You weren't there, Caitlyn. You didn't see those two men walking away like they had just been tossed to the side like they weren't worth the time." Her back straightened and she pointed a massive finger at herself, eyes burning with unchecked rage. "I failed them. The wardens failed them. Hell, even the city failed them."

"You are taking things a bit too personal here-"

"How can I not take things personal, uh?" Vi's voice raised an octave and suddenly everyone's eyes were on the pair. "I keep thinking it could have been me walking in there with a girl and being refused service because I'm gay. Where's the justice in that, uh? But of course you don't get it, you don't know what is like to have people giving you _shit_ about your sexuality. If you higher ups sleep around with people from the same sex, it's all peachy and great because as long as you end up in a straight marriage in the end, no one gives a _fuck_."

The outburst surprised the older woman but it went unnoticed by Vi, who had cast her eyes down to the floor. Seeing her partner in such a desolate state tugged at her heartstrings and she felt the urge to console her. However, she could feel the eyes of the other wardens on them so the sheriff threw them a quick glare.

Once she was sure their attention was focused elsewhere, she tentatively reached for the enforcer's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. The gesture caught Vi off guard and she flinched slightly before looking up to meet the other woman's gaze.

Caitlyn flashed her a small but warm smile and walked away without a word, leaving a baffled Vi behind.

 **OoOoO**

Later that night, the sheriff found herself in the dim lit archives, digging for reports that had been brushed aside as 'not relevant'. She couldn't believe her eyes as she scanned the papers, some older than others but the pattern seemed the same.

A young woman complained she was asked to leave the theatre after asking the seller for a love-seat to share with her wife. A man claimed he had been attacked by his own friends after they found out he was fond of the same gender (he had no proof to support his claim and since there had been no witnesses, it was filled under inconclusive and promptly forgotten afterwards). A young couple of two females had been denied a table at a supper club after they claimed they wanted a special table to celebrate their engagement.

The pile slowly grew as the hours ticked by and only when morning came did she emerge, tired but with purpose in her eyes. Finding the other sheriffs one by one, she showed them her findings and relayed the tale of what had transpired in the bakery just the day before. Her strong arguments and the compassion she put into her words appealed to their good sense and soon word was put out that these cases were not to be treated so lightly any more.

Discrimination of any sort was not allowed to go unchecked and unpunished.

Vi showed up after lunch and was surprised to find the working area buzzing with talks on how one of the sheriffs had began a crusade to protect the queer community and how they had to be more tactful handling certain cases. A few knowing glances were thrown in her direction but she thought nothing of it, until she entered her partner's office and found her half asleep at her desk working through possible new regulations and an idea for a celebratory day where people could just be out and proud of who they love.

Her heart fluttered slightly for the first time as the sheriff invited her to take a seat and give her opinion on the ideas she had come up with so far.

Several days and a wedding invitation later, Vi found herself in a modest sized living room that had been turned into a venue for the occasion. There were not a lot of people in attendance but it was a cheerful and warm gathering. She was sitting at a small table, happily stuffing her face with the most delicious cake she had ever tasted, Caitlyn alongside her watching the newly-wed couple dancing.

"This is the best. Cake. Ever." The enforcer spoke between bites, crumbles sticking to her chin and blue frosting on her nose. "I wonder where they got it after that homophobic son of a-"

"Language please, Vi."

"What? He was one though."

Caitlyn didn't have time to agree nor disagree with this as they were approached by the man she remembered being Richard.

"I hope you are both enjoying the party. We are very thankful for having you." He paused and focused his attention on the sheriff. "Many thanks for the cake, everyone keeps telling us just how lovely it is."

As he takes his leave, Vi barely manages to avoid choking on the last bit of cake. She turns to her companion with wide eyes. "Wait. You made this?!"

The only reply she got was that same warm smile she was beginning to love so much.


	9. Snapshots III

A glimpse on how Caitlyn realized she was starting to developed feelings for her partner. Also co-written with my girlfriend!

* * *

 _ **'Latch'**_

" _How do you do it, you got me losing every breath  
What did you give me to make my heart beat out my chest?"_

 _Latch (Cover) – Natalie Taylor (Originally by Sam Smith)_

 **OoOoO**

Caitlyn stood by one of officer's desk, patiently waiting for him to finish his report about a nightly disturbance when a middle aged woman, modestly dressed and hair slightly askew, stumbled into the Hall of Law. She approached the desk-warden and the two engaged in a conversation which turned into a heated argument a moment later. The desperation written all over the woman's face appealed to the sheriff's kindness; she told the warden to just send his report to her office once he was done and made her way to the reception area.

"I already told you, lady, the wardens aren't going to bother to pool resources to find a street kid. We already looked into your case when you first reported her missing and found nothing out of the ordinary. Just accept she left out of her own free will and move on."

"You don't understand!"

"I will ask you again politely to leave before-" He paused when he noticed Caitlyn approaching out of the corner of his eye. "Sheriff, I am sorry for the commotion. This lady here was just about to leave."

The woman turned to face her, eyes wide. "A sheriff? Oh thank the gods! I am so glad you're here, miss; please you have to help me."

"What seems to be the problem?"

"This little girl I have been looking after, she... She went missing last week. I reported it to the wardens but they say she probably just went back to Zaun, which is absurd!"

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow and folded her arms above her chest. "Can you elaborate, please? Were you looking after this child for someone else or...?"

"Oh no, she has no family left. A chem-tech experiment gone wrong, she said. Poor thing... I found her by the markets where I usually sell pastries, you see? She was so hungry and dirty I couldn't just leave her like that. So I took her home, let her bath and washed her clothes. Gave her some warm soup... Oh, you should have seen her face! She was so happy."

"When was this exactly?"

"About four months ago. I don't have much, you see, but I told her she could stay if she liked. She went with me to the markets every day after that, even helped me sell my goods. Everyone kept telling me just how lovely she was and to my surprise she had quite the talent for baking." The woman's face fell, eyes watering. "Then last week I woke up only to find she was gone..."

"It was already explained to this lady that it is common in the Boundary Markets to have orphans showing up and sticking around for a while, trying their luck on petty thefts and such." The desk-warden spoke, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Before you know it, they're just gone. Folks see them a lot at Drop Street late at night, going back to Zaun."

"I refuse to believe Abby would just leave without saying goodbye. Something must have happened. Please, miss, will you look for her? That girl is like the child I never had."

The sheriff let out a long sigh while weighing her options. "He has a point, you know? A lot of children come and go every day. It is a sad reality but one we unfortunately cannot change, at least not yet." She paused, her eyes flickering between the warden and the woman. "I cannot promise you anything but... I will look into it."

"Oh, gods bless you, miss! Thank you so much!"

"No promises, like I said. Now if you could just come this way, I will need a bit more information to go on..."

 **OoOoO**

Vi showed up late that day and let herself into Caitlyn's office without knocking. Usually that would have earned her a long speech about responsibilities and the importance of privacy; but the other woman had barely acknowledged her presence in the room, too busy looking through old reports and taking notes.

Raising an eyebrow at this, the enforcer let herself fall unceremoniously on the spare chair. That earned her a small gasp in surprise by the older woman, followed by a deep frown.

"Vi, how many times have I told you to knock first?"

"Yeah, yeah." She made a dismissive gesture with one of her gauntlets, eyes filled with mirth. "I was actually on my way to punch someone's face in but then I heard this mostly interesting rumour so I had to come and check it myself."

"What rumour?"

"That one of our sheriffs is actually trying to find one of those Zaunite orphans."

"Harknor told you." She stated matter-of-factly, before returning her attention to the papers spread out on the desk in front of her. "What of it?"

"So it's true." Her face fell slightly. "I see you have a thing for strays from down below. What's the catch this time, uh?"

"I already told you to avoid referring to yourself in those terms. And there is no _'catch';_ I just plan to find this kid and bring her home to the woman who has been taking care of her these past few months."

Vi eyed her partner with suspicion. "Come on... There's gotta be a catch somewhere. Why would someone like you give a rat's _ass_ about a street kid gone missing? Even the others said it would be a waste of time to look."

The sheriff paused her motions and her gaze returned to the other woman, piercing blue eyes dangerously narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean, _'someone like me'_?"

"You know..."

"Do I now? I do not think so, Vi; please enlighten me."

"I didn't mean anything bad by it, relax, cupcake." She held up her hands but her partner didn't seem convinced. "I mean, you're a sheriff. If this was some clan or upper city kid, sure I can see you working your _ass_ off to find it. I just don't see why this one is so special."

"This girl may not be important to us or the wardens in general, but she is important to someone. It should not matter where she comes from." Eyes soften considerably, she placed her elbows on the wooden surface and rested her chin on her hands. "It would actually do you good to remember that if you are working with me."

Letting out a dismissive sound, Vi got up and left the room without another word, before dragging herself to the underground holding cells to release her frustrations on some unfortunate idiot who refused to talk.

 **OoOoO**

She didn't see Caitlyn for good part of the week. According to the desk-warden, her partner would come in early, to make sure all her affairs were left in order, and then disappear the entire day, only returning late at night to check for any messages she may have missed. The behaviour was uncommon, but Vi just assumed she must have been busy with some important case.

That changed when she came in one rainy afternoon and heard the telltale of an argument on the office floor. She couldn't quite tell who the male voice belonged to, but the female one she would have recognized anywhere. Deciding to just wait it out, she leaned against a desk and waited patiently for it to die down.

A few minutes later, heavy footsteps sounded on the staircase and a well-dressed man in uniform, holding a top hat in one hand while dabbing his forehead with a white handkerchief with the other, walked into the working area. He spared a glance around and stopped when he noticed the enforcer, slowly approaching her with an exasperated expression upon his face.

"Your partner is the most stubborn woman I have ever had the displeasure to deal with!" he huffed and puffed, face red with anger. "She needs to learn her place!"

Vi just shrugged. "Can't disagree with that. Though, maybe..." A grin spread on her face as she eyed the man. "I'm rubbing myself on her too much."

She threw him a wink for good measure and watched in amusement as he spluttered, eyes as wide as saucers before stomping out muttering to himself. Letting out a hearty chuckle, she made her way upstairs to the sheriff's office.

The enforcer knocked but when she didn't receive a reply, she pushed the door open anyway. She found the older woman sitting at her desk, hands covering her face. She let out an exasperated noise before threading her fingers through her hair and only then did she notice the younger woman was in the room.

"I take it that you heard that."

"I think the entire building heard that, cupcake."

The sheriff pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "I wish they would just let me do my damn job instead of sending lackeys to tell me I am _'crossing the line'_ on something that is _'completely irrelevant to the city's interest'_."

"Does this still have to do with that missing kid?"

She nodded. "Yes. I found a possible location in Zaun but since I have no proof the child did not return against her free will, they are road blocking me; not to mention I cannot risk walking into the Lanes, only to figure out this Abby actually has a family down there."

"That's rough... Do you have to drop the case?"

"Nothing more I can do, my hands are tied." The older woman gathered her notes and neatly stacked them, placing them inside the top drawer of the desk. "I will just pass on the information I found to the lady at the market tomorrow first thing. I just hope she understands and leaves it as it is."

"I'm sorry." Vi whispered in a soft tone, so uncharacteristic on her.

"So am I." The sheriff got up from her chair and reached for her jacket and riffle, eyes focusing on the other woman. "I think I will head home now, unless you need something...?"

"Nah, I just came by for a second to check if you were alright. My fist got a meeting in a few minutes with some idiot they brought in this morning." She paused for a moment, eyes softening. "Take care."

"You too, Vi."

 **OoOoO**

The first thing Caitlyn noticed when she reached her office the next morning was that it wasn't locked. She remembered vividly turning the key before letting herself and her partner out the day before so she couldn't understand how that could have occurred.

Her question was answered when she noticed the small brass key laying on top of her desk, next to a nearly illegible note where the words _I'm sorry_ had been hastily written. Reaching for her key chain, she couldn't believe her eyes when she realized that Vi indeed had taken the object without her noticing. Fuming, she made a mental note to reprimand her partner for such a bold move.

She also began to wonder why on earth she would need a key to the office in the middle of the night.

Caitlyn glanced at the obvious things first, like the liquor bottles and crystal cups, but found nothing missing or moved. She then took a closer inspection at her desk and only when she opened the top drawer, she came to the realization that all her notes on the missing child were gone.

Before she could even began to curse internally while wondering what the other woman was up to, a runner dropped a pneuma-tube for her with a message from Vi.

 _Meet me at the Boundary Markets asap._

 _P.s.: Sorry for taking your key._

 _P.p.s.: If by now you noticed your notes are missing, it was also me. Sorry again._

The message itself made her twitch, up until the moment everything just hit her full force. She had stolen the key. She had taken her notes. She was asking her to meet her at the markets.

 _'She went into Zaun.'_

 **OoOoO**

The Boundary Markets were bustling with activity, people from both factions selling or trading their goods and chatting about their lives. Her presence was immediately noticed as she walked through the crowd, riffle resting comfortably against her shoulder; some bid her a good day, while others averted their eyes and hastily covered their wares.

She chalked down the need to add an extra patrol or two.

Eyes carefully trained on her surroundings with every step, it did not take long for her to spot a familiar flash of pink by a sweets seller in a more shaded corner of the markets. Taking a narrow path between stalls, she started to make her way towards her target with a frown, until she noticed something that made her halt her steps and let out a surprised gasp.

A small girl, matching Abby's description, was perched on Vi's shoulders, happily munching on a frosted doughnut. She started laughing when she dropped sprinkles on pink hair, causing the enforcer to playfully scold her with a warm smile on her face.

Caitlyn's heart fluttered and she felt herself warming up at the sight. Unfamiliar yet not at all unwelcome thoughts made themselves known as she began to wonder why in her mind the small picture that was painted right in front of her looked as natural as breathing.

Her musings were interrupted by the sound of someone cleaning their throat behind her and only then did she realize she had been standing in the middle of a small road with multiple pairs of curious eyes watching her.

A flush spread to her cheeks as she stepped aside and muttered her apologies to the man before attempting to salvage some of her dignity. Eyes narrowed, face drawn in a tight scowl and shoulders straight, she spared a glance around and as suspected, the people in her immediate vicinity quickly decided everything else but their sheriff was a more interesting sight.

Thankful for her quick thinking, she walked towards her partner and took a deep breath in relief when she was out of earshot. Although when she was close enough for the other woman to notice her, she couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips as Vi poked a tiny leg gently and pointed in her direction, causing the child to stare in awe.

She came to a stop right next to them and the enforcer spoke."See, Abby? Told you the nice sheriff sent me to get you."

"Woow! She's a sheriff! You were right though, she's real pretty."

The younger woman spluttered at this. "Hey! I told you not to say that in front of her, kid."

Caitlyn let out a small chuckle as she watched Abby cover her mouth with her free hand, eyes as big as saucers. Her eyes filled with mirth when she noticed her partner's slight pinked cheeks and didn't miss the opportunity to tease her. "So you think I am pretty, hmm?"

"Yeah, uh... She's just a kid, you know how kids are: always saying stupid kid things. Not that I don't think you're pretty or anything but ye kids being kids, stupid things yeah."

"Hey! I'm not a kid. I'm six and I ain't stupid! I know what you said, pink person."

"Can't you like, just work with me here for a second? You're embarrassing me in front of my partner."

"Partner? I thought she was your girlfriend."

Vi's face turned red at the words while the older woman just watched her for a moment, face unreadable. Their eyes met and when she was about to open her mouth to try and salvage the situation, the child started to squirm on her shoulders and she had to let her down, both watching with soft eyes as Abby got reunited again with the lady she was now referring to as 'mum'.

There were tears in their eyes as they hugged, promising each other never to be apart again. The enforcer stole a quick glance towards her partner as the scene unfolded, and was surprised to notice her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

The lady came over to them, thanking both profusely but the younger woman insisted the sheriff had done all the work and that she had just acted on her behalf, which Abby promptly agreed with. Afterwards, they parted with the promise of visiting soon.

 **OoOoO**

The walk back to the office was made mostly in silence, which was slowly driving Vi insane. Her partner hadn't spared a word nor a glance towards her ever since they had left the markets, so the enforcer assumed Caitlyn was upset with her for both going behind her back and the unfortunate comment Abby had made.

Which was utterly unfair, in her honest opinion.

"I don't get why you're mad at me."

The older woman raised a questioning eyebrow but her eyes remained focused on the street. "I am not."

"Okay, I get it that taking the key was wrong and all and breaking into your office-"

"Vi. I am not mad at you."

"And going into Zaun in the middle of the night- "

"Vi."

"And grabbing the kid from some weird _ass_ scary dude- Wait. You're not?"

"No. Even though you went behind my back and stole my key... By the way, we will have a talk about that when we get to my office. But despite all, you did a good thing and most important, you even end up making a friend in the end."

"Yeah... Kid's alright, I guess. Until she opens her mouth, that is."

A small laugh escaped the sheriff, making Vi smile. "You should have known better than spill your deepest, darkest secrets to a child."

She grinned. "I thought me finding you pretty wasn't really a secret."

"Guess not. Although, I feel like I should tell you that I am aware of your eyes roaming when you think I am not looking."

The enforcer spluttered at the words and stopped in her tracks, mouth opening and closing almost comically. "I- I don't- I would never- I don't know what you're talking about!"

Caitlyn let out a small laugh but said nothing, instead keeping her pace. Vi frowned at the reaction, before catching up to the other woman and giving her a side glance.

"Why bring this up now? You don't seem that bothered by it, cupcake."

A shrug. "Why would it bother me? I am aware of your preferences for the female gender."

"So you're saying it doesn't bother you because I'm gay and I look at all women that way...?"

"Not in those exact terms but yes."

It was her turn to let out a laugh before shaking her head in disbelief. "If you think that's the case, then I guess you don't know me that well after all." She paused for a moment. "I don't just look at everyone like that."

It was the sheriff's turn to stop in her tracks, eyebrows raised in confusion as she watched her partner give her a knowing smile before her form disappeared around the corner. Standing there, eyes fixated on the spot she had seen the other woman the last, she half expected Vi to come back and laugh it all off, as some sort of payback for all the teasing she had been subjected to.

When that did not happen and the words finally started to sink in, Caitlyn nearly felt her knees go weak at the revelation. Heart pounding in her chest, she made a split second decision to turn on her heels and make her way home instead of going back to the Hall of Law.

She had some thinking to do, it seemed.


	10. Hurricane I

This chapter and the next one are longer and **heavier** than the previous ones. Please don't ignore the trigger warnings spread through them. If you think it may be a bit too much, just read this until you reach the warning; then proceed to the next chapter and scroll until you see the words **SAFE.**

 **I'm serious guys, I don't want to trigger anyone so please don't ignore the warnings. Thank you.**

* * *

 _"I can see the bruises of the fire  
There's a heart aching  
Uncovering the sadness in her eyes  
And them angels dancing  
They're dancing  
Sad beats  
Heartbeats  
And they're dancing like  
Bad beats  
Bad shit  
And it hit me like"_

 _Hurricane – LNKAY_

 **OoOoO**

After walking Caitlyn back home and making sure she was safe and sound, Vi made her way to her own apartment. Clouds were now covering the night sky, dimming the moonlight and making the before comfortable breeze turn cooler and cooler. Caitlyn had invited her to stay over, like she had done so many times before, when their nights at the station or on patrol would last till too late. But the enforcer had politely refused it this time, because she felt the awkwardness in the sheriff's voice when she had asked.

She was now starting to regret it, as the first drops of rain hit her exposed skin.

Vi shivered slightly and fastened her pace, silently cursing the weather for trying to ruin such a perfect night. As she navigated the now empty streets, her thoughts drifted to their time alone in the garden and to the way the moonlight made Caitlyn's eyes sparkle even more; and to the way their fingers interlocked so perfectly as if it was meant to be all along. But especially to the warmth that had spread through her entire body when at the end of the night, the other woman had called her ' _girlfriend'._

 _Girlfriend._

How weird yet strangely warm that word felt. She had been called so many things but never that. Vi's past relationships had been fleeting and never lasted more than a couple of days; most of them were not even more than a one night fling.

She paused for a moment in front of her apartment building, contemplating her last thought with a grim expression. What if this new found relationship wouldn't last long? What if Caitlyn's integrity were to be put in question if someone found out about them? And if they did break up, where would Vi stand? Would she be fired? Would Caitlyn throw her into a jail cell just to make the politicians feel better? What if-

She shook her head and pulled out the keys, unlocking the front door. The main hall light immediately turned on as she stepped inside and she was greeted with nothing but the sound of the rain outside and her own footsteps echoing on the marble floor. Vi decided against checking her mailbox and headed towards the stairs instead, keeping her steps as quiet as possible, trying to not disturb her neighbours. She reached her floor and unlocked the door, stepping inside. The place was a complete mess, but she didn't care; she locked the door, kicked off her boots and made her way into the bathroom for a quick shower.

It was a bit after four in the morning when Vi finally laid her head down on her pillow and tried to sleep. She expected sleep to mercifully claim her as she closed her eyes; but the thoughts that had plagued her earlier were still there, tugging at her heartstrings. She could now fully understand why Caitlyn was so reluctant in accepting her feelings and was now wondering if it had been a mistake pushing her to do so. No, letting both of them pretend their feelings didn't exist would have been a worse mistake. But they were both so different...

If their relationship was known, Vi would not take the plunge into a spiral of politics and higher ups questioning her integrity or how fit she was to be in her position. She would not see the people of Piltover look at her with distrust or even disgust. She would not have her position compromised in any way or form. But Caitlyn would. Caitlyn, the embodiment of justice and pureness, the pristine light of the city-state, dating someone who would rather punch first and ask questions later, someone who constantly had to wipe her gauntlets clean of blood.

She couldn't remember one instance where she had seen Caitlyn's hands stained with blood that was not hers, when the enforcer would have a rough run down with some dangerous criminals and would come out worse for the wear. But again, she was doing the sheriff's dirty job, wasn't she? She was the muscle, Caitlyn was the brains.

She rolled on her side, the fabric of her pillow now damp from her hair. She mentally cursed herself for thinking _shit_ like that about her job and her boss. Her girfriend. She was doing no one's dirty job but her own: the sheriff always scolded her for being too rough on the criminals, no matter how much they deserved it. She had blood on her hands because she wanted to, not because she had been ordered. But... wouldn't things be better if they were equal? If both were on the same ground, if maybe Caitlyn was a bit more physical on the job...?

She rolled to the other side with a grunt. She should just sleep and stop thinking all together.

 **OoOoO**

 _ **(Trigger warning for language and violence. If that bothers you, skip the rest of this chapter.)**_

Vi woke up with the annoying beeping of her alarm. On a normal day, she would have hit the snooze button and catch an extra hour of sleep. Or maybe four. Lets just say it was not unusual at all for the enforcer to show up late for work, just in time for the morning break.

Caitlyn would scold her, while watching the pink haired woman shove doughnuts and coffee down her throat at inhuman speed. She would nearly choke; the sheriff would shake her head and wonder what she would do with her. Vi would grin and say, in a playful way, ' _you know you love me cupcake'._ Afterwards, they would just go on with the usual work, which consisted mostly of Vi chasing bad guys, smashing into things that should not be smashed, break a few bones here and there while Caitlyn would hopelessly watch. Back in the office, there would be scolding, yelling, more scolding and just like that the enforcer would be off the hook.

This has been their routine since they started to work together. But after previous night's events, Vi thought things could stand to change a bit...

So she turned the alarm off, stretched her sore muscles and got up. The first thing she noticed was that her apartment was strangely clean and that there was a familiar scent of lavender in the air. The source seemed to be a neat pile of folded clothes that Vi could not remember for the hell of her to have taken out of the dryer.

She carefully stepped into her living room and was again met with a clean and tidy environment. Raising an eyebrow at the strange occurrence, the enforcer decided to shrug it off as another one of her weird sleep walking nights.

She opened the blinds and was surprised to see no traces of the heavy rain that fell during the night. The sun was slowly rising in the blue sky, no clouds in sight.

Again, she shrugged it off and moved back to the bedroom, throwing some clean clothes on before going on with her morning rituals. She thought about making a quick breakfast but decided against it when she grew anxious about wanting to see Caitlyn before she got to the office.

Breakfast could wait another hour.

 **OoOoO**

The streets of the City of Progress were still fairly empty, save for a few bakers that had spent the night working to make sure there would be fresh bread on their shelves in the morning. As Vi passed, with her gauntlets strapped behind her back, they eyed her carefully as always. But to their surprise, her usual glare was replaced by a smile, a small wave and a meant _'morning!'._

The change of demeanour left them completely confused, as they wondered what had possessed the pink haired woman. The only logical explanation: the sheriff had finally scolded her partner for being so rude to everyone. Ah yes, that made sense.

As more and more citizens became baffled by her unusual behaviour, Vi began to wonder if it had been a good idea to look so damn happy first thing in the morning. Caitlyn had advised her to behave normally around her, especially when they were together in public or in the work place... But she honestly said nothing about the enforcer's personal behaviour in public when she was on her own... Or had she?

 _'Bleh, fuck it. Like I give a shit.'_

When she arrived to the building where the sheriff lived, she spotted Caitlyn at the entrance, struggling with two folders. Immediately she rushed her pace and made it to the sheriff, just in time to avoid a pile of papers from falling onto the floor.

"Easy there cupcake," Vi started. "Let me get that for you."

"Oh hm... Thank you, Vi." She arranged the papers back into the folders before handing them to the enforcer. "You are fairly early today. Couldn't sleep?"

"Oh you can say that..." She grinned and winked at the other woman. "Just thought it would be nice to get up in time for once so we could walk together."

"That's very thoughtful of you. Although I do hope you did not have one of your _'friends'_ over last night. You remember what happened last time right? I do not want more drama in the office."

"One of my... 'friends'? What _'friends'_ are you talking about Cait? Are you already that jealous? You know damn well I only have drink buddies and that's only on bars during weekends. If that bothers you I can just-"

"I beg your pardon? Why would I be _'jealous'_? Also no, I meant your female _'friends'_ that you have over once in a while when you are feeling... lonely."

"What the _fuck_ are you talking about? You're the only one who usually comes by to make sure my place is clean. I have no other people coming over, for _fuck's_ sakes. You're acting weird Caitlyn."

"You are the one acting weird today." The sheriff stated matter-of-factly, before starting to walk with Vi reluctantly following her. "If all of the sudden you are denying things like this, you must have had too much to drink last night. Or were you perhaps high...?"

"I don't do drugs and you know that! What are all these accusations all of the sudden? And why the _fuck_ are you giving me the cold shoulder after what happened last night?!"

"Last night...? What do you mean by 'after last night'? I was home working on paperwork."

"Okay Cait, that's really funny and I see you even stuffed some folders with papers to make it look like you had been working on these all night... And you pull out this crazy jealously thingy, which by the way, was a bit too much. But seriously, joke's over cupcake. You got me, ah ah. Can you please be serious now?"

"What do you mean? I am not joking, Vi. And I told you multiple times to stop calling me that. I am not your bloody pet." She paused for a moment, before adding. "And I am certainly not jealous."

"Are you _fucking_ serious? I told you Cait, joke's over. Stop treating me like _shit._ If you're trying to teach me a lesson because of how I sorta hurt your feelings when you were about to confess to me, I already said I was sorry. And I redeemed myself last night, I took you to a nice place and all."

The sheriff suddenly stopped and pulled Vi towards one of the alleys, pushing her hard against the brick wall, making the enforcer wince at the sudden action.

"Look, I do not know what in the bloody hell has gotten into you but you better stop it. I did not 'confess' to you and we sure as hell did not go anywhere together last night. So cut it out."

"Are you _fucking_ serious right now, Cait?! After everything that happened between us, you just wake up the next morning and decide to shrug it all off and pretend it was nothing?!" Vi spat, completely furious. "If you're not joking, then you're just being an heartless _bitch_."

"Look..." Caitlyn took a deep breath, trying to sound as calm as possible. "I do not know what is wrong with you but listen carefully: nothing happened between us at all. I did not confess to you, we did not go out last night. Nothing unusual happened between us that may have lead you to imagine such thing so my guess is, you either got really wasted yesterday and dreamed about it or you suffered a concussion somewhere."

The pink haired woman remained silent for a moment, as she inspected the other woman's features for any sort of clue that would prove all of it was nothing but a very cruel joke. But the only thing she found in piercing blue eyes was confusion. And a hint of concern.

"It's all really not a joke, is it...? You don't remember anything at all...?" - She chuckled to herself, pushing the sheriff away from her. - "I guess I deserved that, after being such an _ass_ to you."

"Vi, what are you saying...? Are you implying that I forgot things? I am fairly sure I did not. And if those things did happen, I am sure I would of remembered it. I-"

She was harshly pinned against the wall when Vi dropped the folders and inverted their positions. Her eyes went wide when the enforcer leaned in and she could have swore she was going to steal a kiss; but she didn't. Instead, their foreheads met softly for a moment, before Vi pulled away and walked off, leaving a very confused sheriff behind.

 **OoOoO**

Vi walked around the now lively streets of Piltover for hours without a destination. Head cast down and hands stuffed in her jeans pockets, the enforcer contemplated on what to do next, after the screw up with Caitlyn. She could not, for the life of her, believe that the events that she could clearly see in her mind were a product of her imagination.

It just simply did not make any sense at all.

How could she remember things so vividly while her partner had no recollection of it ever happening? Was she really at home all night, like she claimed? And what was this all about Vi having some _'friends'_ over?

So many questions, so little answers.

But what if... Caitlyn had indeed forgotten about it? Maybe there was something wrong with her. If anyone knew anything it could only be one person...

 _'Ezreal.'_

A quick scan around her surroundings told her that she was only a few streets away from the Piltover Museum, where she knew for sure she would find him. Rushing her step, she navigated her way through the lower part of town, currently packed with street merchants selling all sorts of flowers, sweets and fresh fruits.

A particular smell caught her attention and she stopped in her tracks, her head whipping in the direction of a doughnut store that apparently had just opened across the street. A big velvet red ribbon hang above the door, the words _'Grand Opening'_ written in fancy golden letters; but what caught her attention was the sign in the window, that announced ' _Opening promotion!_ _Buy a box of doughnuts, get one for free!'._ Her stomach rumbled angrily, making a few citizens looking at the enforcer funny. She gave them an apologetic glance before sprinting towards the store.

Her predicament could wait a few more minutes.

 **OoOoO**

At the museum reception, Vi got a few weird looks from both staff and visitors since she had a couple of doughnut boxes stacked in one hand, the other furiously reaching for the sweet treats every second as she inhaled them at record speed. She barely paused to ask the receptionist where she could find the explorer and she didn't even mutter a 'thank you' as she was pointed to the staircase that lead to the upper floors, where the offices were located.

After scanning door after door of boring names, she finally reached her destination. A quick knock (she actually had to stop reaching into the doughnuts box for it) on the door was enough to announce her presence as she turned the knob and helped herself in.

Ezreal lifted his eyes from an old map he had been asked to analyse and raised an eyebrow at the pink haired woman, who quickly had slammed the door shut behind herself (with her foot) and was now sitting in one of his guest chairs. She gave him a sheepish look but didn't stop chewing and reaching for her sweets; instead she was effectively scattering powder sugar all over his new rug, making him twitch in annoyance.

"Vi." He started, acknowledging her presence. "I would love it if you could put those things away while you're inside my office. I don't want an army of ants all over my new rug."

"Oh, oops. Sorry there, buddy." She shoved the remaining two doughnuts down her throat, before throwing the empty case in the bin across the room, missing spectacularly. "Hm... I'll get that later?" She placed the remaining unopened boxes on top of his desk and gave him a sheepish look.

"I really really wonder how you haven't been kicked out of the force."

"For 'excessive force'?"

"No, for making them look bad. You're literally the embodiment of the doughnut loving cop stereotype."

"Eh, what can I say? 'When in Demacia, do as the Demacian's do'."

He shook his head at her antics before letting out a light chuckle. "You're incorrigible, Vi. But hey, what brings you here exactly? Just visiting after hitting the store?"

"Uh, the store was actually not in the original plan. Too good to pass up." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously before speaking again. " I actually came here because there's something wrong with Caitlyn."

Vi was surprised when he didn't show any signs of worry or alarm; instead he raised an unamused eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "What's the problem with her now?"

"She... She doesn't remember what happened last night. Or what happened the night before by the looks of it..."

"I'm afraid you need to be more specific, Vi. Did she suffer a concussion or something? Or is she just being herself and completely disregarding everyone else again?"

"What?! No!" She gave him a look of complete disbelief. "Cait is not like that, why are you saying that? And as far as I know she didn't bump her head anywhere; I walked her home myself last night."

He was silent for a few minutes, eyeing the enforcer with an unfamiliar expression. Vi, for her part, was just as confused and awkward. Was it all really just a dream? She didn't remember drinking so much that it would justify her passing out and having such vivid dreams. No, there was definitely something wrong. Ezreal and Caitlyn had always looked out for each other so being told that there was something wrong should have sent the explorer into a worry spiral of questions.

Yet, it didn't. In fact, he couldn't have looked less impressed or bothered by it.

"Vi." He started, slowly. "What do you think my relationship with Caitlyn is like?"

"You always said she's like a sister to you."

He leaned forward, still eyeing her carefully. "That was before the Shurima screw up, months ago. You don't remember what happened there?"

"I do. You went there because you received news about some weird artefact..." She paused for a moment. "You found it and you tried to bring it back to Piltover but some nasty smugglers put a price on your head. You couldn't leave your safe house so Caitlyn went there to retrieve you herself. What about it?"

Ezreal let out a long sigh before leaning back in his chair, his gaze now lost at some spot in the ceiling. "I'm afraid that is not what happened there. You were the one who risked your own hide to retrieve me from Shurima." His eyes focused back on her. "When I contacted Caitlyn, she seemed unfazed by the situation and literally told me to figure it out myself. She also told you to stay put and not to get involved but you didn't listen."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Vi got up from her chair and paced around the room, like a caged tiger. "She doesn't remember I asked her out, that we ARE dating and you... You don't even remember she was the one who saved your ass. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK! Why are you guys acting like this! It's NOT funny!"

"Vi, please calm down-"

"Like _hell_ I'll calm down! You two are playing a really really cruel joke on me!"

"This is not a joke!" Ezreal got up and slammed his fist on the desk, hard. Vi flinched and stopped her pacing, facing the explorer. "Look, Vi, I don't know what happened last night to make you come up with this stuff but I promise you no one is playing any joke on you. And if you don't believe me about the Shurima thing..." He pointed to a newspaper clip he had framed on the wall at his left. "See for yourself."

The enforcer gave him a questioning look before taking a couple of steps towards the offending object, while Ezreal sat back down in his chair, observing her carefully.

In bold letters, the title presented itself as ' **The prodigal explorer is back in Piltover!'** the next line stating that the brave enforcer had risked her own life to retrieve him from Shurima. She frowned slightly but kept reading further, stopping here and there to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her. The entire article was telling the story she remembered, but some things were completely off and out of character, especially the part where it stated that Vi had been _'publicly humiliated by the sheriff as soon as she had stepped foot in Piltover'_ by _'refusing to follow orders, putting both their lives at risk'._ Furthermore, it stated that she had been slapped (?) in front of everyone and that the sheriff had walked away from the scene.

She snorted at the notion but then she noticed the picture accompanying the article: she was sitting on the floor, cradling her cheek as someone who looked an awful lot like Caitlyn had their back turned, as if they were walking away from the scene. Ezreal was in the picture as well, kneeling next to her, his expression between pure shock and concern.

She stood there reading the article over and over again, trying to make sense of it. She also looked at the picture multiple times, trying to find a way of disproving the entire thing. Finding a way to prove to herself that the person walking away was not the sheriff, the person holding her cheek was not her and the other person in the picture was not Ezreal.

She found no logical explanation to why that article existed. Nor to why he had pointed her to it. Unless...

She gave a low chuckle. "I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me turn on Caitlyn, to make me think that somehow she turned into the bad guy during the night. It's not going to work, Ezreal. I know the real her and she would never have done something like this. She is not like me."

"I know she's not like you: you care and you protect; she only destroys." He pulled out another newspaper from under the map he had been analysing. "This is from this morning."

He slammed the paper down, at the edge of the desk. She walked closer and again, bold letters stared at her, this time with the headline: **'Local store owner shot dead, the vigilante strikes again.'**

Before she could even ask what that had to do the anything, the explorer spoke in a low tone. "He was shot from a rooftop, almost two blocks away from where he was standing. Both of us know that there is only one sharpshooter in the city capable of such accuracy."

She was silent for a moment eyeing the offending piece of news. "Okay, let's say for a second that I believe you and all this _batshit_ crazy stuff about Caitlyn being 'evil'..." Vi lifted her gaze to Ezreal. "Why would she shoot an innocent man? And what's this vigilante stuff?"

He leaned back in his chair again, eyeing her carefully. "Caitlyn's actions have been leaving quite a bad impression in Piltover, ever since she rose to power. The late sheriff passed away too early and everyone suspected foul play; yet no one could prove it so she took his place." He paused for a moment; Vi just blinked and gave him an incredulous look. "The crime rate decreased fast, which is nice. But... it was mainly because the criminals would not live to tell their tale if she caught them red handed."

Vi's eyes widen at the implication. "She would never have blood on her hands like that. I'm usually the one who knocks a few teeth out. Or break a couple of bones. But that's it. And Caitlyn... if she does have to shoot someone down it's because they were about to kill an innocent. And she avoids at all costs to hit them in vital spots, no matter how much they deserve it. So your 'story' makes little sense."

"She shoots to kill, Vi. And this vigilante thing is her trying to muffle the revolution movement that has been growing underground ever since she forced you to work for her."

"She didn't force me to work for her. She made a proposal and I accepted it, simple as that."

"That's really not how things went down at all, Vi. You were a famous hextech inventor." He pulled out a folder from one of his desk drawers and handed it to her. "You had a nice degree and you were known for doing a lot of charity work around the lowest districts, where people have barely enough to go by. When word of the revolution reached the sheriff, she immediately tracked you down and forced you to work for her or she would throw you in jail. She was afraid you would side with them."

The enforcer dropped on the chair with a loud _thud_ and opened the folder, scanning its contents one by one. There was file after file on herself that she had never seen before: flawless medical records (her real medical records when she joined the force had reached a record on for the amount of dead nerves, strained muscles and what not she had), a copy of her supposed degree and multiple newspaper articles, showing herself sitting next to some kids, smiling big. There were also forms that she had filled and signed, with a calligraphy so neat it didn't look like her own.

"Where did you get this?" She asked, without raising her gaze to meet his. "This kind of stuff is supposed to be confidential."

"Doesn't matter how I got them, Vi. What matters right now is that you need to remember who you really were before you 'joined' the force." He stood up and walked behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm honestly starting to believe that you were brainwashed. But I believe that now with this info on your hands, you can go back to being yourself."

 **OoOoO**

Vi left Ezreal's office without a word. Why was all this happening? Was it all really just a very cruel joke or was there more to it? Had she really been that blind all this time? No, she didn't really believe what the explorer had told her; it didn't make sense. Brainwash? She snorted. When she got it all sorted out, the first thing she would do was tell him to stop watching so much sci-fi movies.

When she stepped outside, the first thing she noticed was people gathered behind a holo tape, that she recognized as the standard wardens issued one to keep people away from a crime scene. Then she noticde the familiar uniforms. Her instincts immediately kicked in as she approached a rather young warden, who was standing by the holo tape facing the museum. She must have recognized Vi because her face immediately lit up and she clicked the barrier away for a moment, to let her through.

"Enforcer Vi! We are so glad you are here!" The young blonde gave her a sincere smile as Vi approached. "We have been trying to reach the sheriff Caitlyn but... she's unreachable... as usual..." She trailed off before correcting herself, her features showing... fear? "Oh, oh! I'm so sorry please ignore me I'm just stressed and all, I don't mean anything by that I swear!"

Vi gave her a questioning look. "Why wasn't Caitlyn reachable? She's always at her office doing paperwork."

The young woman gave her a questioning look of her own. "I didn't know you two were at... first name terms. And the sheriff is barely at the office these days, enforcer."

Vi felt the implication but shrugged it off quickly, focusing on the issue at hand. "So, what happened here?"

"Another local shop owner was shot, possibly again from two blocks away." She gestured to the bloodied white cloth, covering what looked like a body. "No known ties to criminal activity, just a family man. Vigilante strikes again it seems..."

She eyed her surroundings carefully, pondering over what she had been told. Ezreal's words came to mind. "Was he possibly connected to the rebel group?"

"No known ties to the rebellion either, I'm afraid." The blonde woman glanced at the body. "It's sad, you know? One minute you are minding your own business and taking care of your family; the next one you're lying in a pool of your own blood. It's the third case already this week even... I feel sorry for whoever has to tell his kids their dad is not coming home."

"How many kids is he leaving behind?"

"Four. Three girls and a baby boy."

 **OoOoO**

After making sure everything was under control at the scene, Vi bid her goodbyes to her fellow wardens and made her way to the Hall of Law by foot, after politely refusing the blonde woman's offer of transporting her back. She needed time to think and she needed fresh air. Never on her line of duty had she been confronted with a case like this: if someone would murder an innocent, they would not escape the wrath of Piltover's Finest long enough to even think about doing it again. But the officer said it had been the third case that week already; why was she hearing about it only now? And more important, where the hell was Caitlyn in the middle of all this?

The Hall of Law was awfully quiet, save for the sound of a few wardens typing relentlessly on their keyboards. They barely glanced up to acknowledge her presence, but the ones that did gave her an approving nod or a small smile. She nodded back, making her way through the maze of desks to reach her destination: Caitlyn's office. But as soon she took a step up the stairway that led to the second floor, the double doors to the building were hastily thrown open _._

Startled, she turned around just in time to see Caitlyn dragging a poor man by the collar, down the hallway that led to the interrogation rooms.

She felt the need to rub her eyes. She had NOT just seen Caitlyn drag a man like that to the interrogation room. No, it had been someone else like one of those tough guys from the intervention team. Yes, they were usually that rough with criminals, kinda like herself.

Wait.

Thoughts from the night before came rushing in and she realized that the sheriff was partially acting like Vi would. Like she had wondered, in the comfort of her bed, how it would be if Caitlyn was a bit more like her, more physical, more... violent?

 _Shit._

Without warning, she crossed the room and dove down the hallway as fast as her feet could carry her. Vi threw the door open next to the interrogation room, stepped inside and immediately froze at the sight before her.


	11. Hurricane II

Again, please don't ignore the warnings. If it's too much, just scroll down until you see the words **SAFE**.

Also as promised, here's the complete update of all the reworked chapters! Please let me know what you think of it, all feedback is appreciated. And expect updates every week/every two weeks!

* * *

 _"And it hit me like a hurricane  
A bullet through my skin  
Bullet through my skin  
It used to be my runaway  
Now burning through my skin  
Burning through my skin  
You just pulled the trigger"_

 _Hurricane – LNKAY_

 **OoOoO**

 **(Trigger warning for violence, language, blood and implied self harm. If any of this bothers you or makes you uncomfortable, skip until you can see the "SAFE" message. Please don't ignore this warning guys, I don't want to trigger anyone.)**

The man looked worse for wear, blood running freely from what looked like a nasty broken nose. His eyes were wide, his expression nothing more than pure raw fear. His hands were cuffed and resting on top of table, his feet firmly planted on the floor. He was shaking slightly, possibly from blood loss, and his clothes were bloodied and ripped in a few spots.

His clear eyes were fixated on the woman sitting across the table, who had yet to say a word.

Caitlyn sat straight on her chair, legs perfectly crossed under the table. Her face held no expression as she eyed the man in front of her with an eerie calm that chilled Vi to the bone. But only when the sheriff started to drum her fingers on the table she noticed the dry blood covering one of her once pristine leather gloves.

The man glanced momentarily at her hand before swallowing hard. "I- I already said I don't know anything about the rebels. I swear on my children and my wife-"

" _Bullshit._ " Vi flinched when Caitlyn spoke, her eyes wide with surprise and shock. "You have information that I want and you will give it to me, be it willingly or not." She rose from her chair and cracked her knuckles, a motion that Vi herself had done so many times before. "I was kind enough to only give you a bloody nose; next time don't expect such luck. So speak, and speak fast. My patience grows thinner by the second."

The man struggled with words as the sheriff slowly paced in a circle around him, a predatory look in her eyes. Vi watched incredulous as he again denied knowing anything about the rebellion movement, only to have Caitlyn suddenly flip the table in anger.

She was mirroring her in every way possible. From the nose breaking to the cracking of knuckles, to the predatory stare and to the usual table flip to scare the criminals. It was like she was watching herself.

The man was not talking because he clearly didn't know anything, she concluded. So logically, the next thing the sheriff would do was taking a long breath to cool her temper and let him go. But she didn't.

Instead, she raised a closed fist.

All her instincts kicked in and next thing she knew, she was inside the interrogation room, her metal hand wrapped strong around Caitlyn's fist. The sheriff eyed her surprised, while the poor man let out a yelp.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"That's my line."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before the sheriff pulled her hand free from Vi's grasp. She rubbed her wrist and for a second the enforcer felt guilty; but then she reminded herself about what her partner was about to do and the feeling evaporated.

"Why are you doing this, Cait? Why are you beating up an innocent man?"

"Innocent my _ass_." There was venom dripping from every word. "He knows more than he's letting on. If you hadn't interrupted, he would have spilled it already."

"If I hadn't interrupted, the only thing he would be spitting out would be his teeth." She corrected, her voice raising ever so slightly. "Since when do you resort to violence?"

"As long as I get what I want, I don't care if I have to smash a few bones for it. They should have cooperated in the first place."

Vi let out a long sigh. "I don't know what the _fuck_ is wrong with you but I'm not letting you do anything you're really going to regret later. Let this man go."

"Are you out of your damn mind?! No! He's not going to walk out of here until I get the name of the leader of their stupid rebellion."

"He knows NOTHING about it, Cait! Let him GO."

Caitlyn snapped and got right in Vi's face, her eyes dark. "Know you damn place, _warden_. I'm not going to let some lowlife like you tell me what to do."

Vi saw red, literally. She pushed the sheriff hard against the wall, pinning her there with one huge gauntlet. "Listen here, _sheriff._ " Her voice was low and calculated. "I really don't know why the _fuck_ you're acting like this but that's enough out of you." She caught the hand that instantly flew towards her cheek with her other gauntlet. "You will let this man go. You will unlock his handcuffs and he's going to walk out of here. And after he's gone, you and me will have a little chat."

She felt guilty when she tightened her grip on Caitlyn's hand, making her wince; but she needed to prove to the other woman that she meant every word. After a few moments, the sheriff quietly nodded her head and Vi moved away slightly, giving her space to move again. She watched as Caitlyn pulled a pair of keys from her glove and approached the scared man, unlocking his restrains. He immediately stood up and muttered a sincere _'thank you'_ to the pink haired woman, before scurrying through the door as fast as his unsteady feet could carry him.

Vi leaned against the wall with a loud sigh. Caitlyn remained with her back turned, her arms limp at her sides. She had dropped the keys on the floor and the handcuffs were lazily dangling from her fingers for a moment, before falling to the ground as well.

"What happened to you, Cait?" Vi started, her voice just above a whisper. "You were always on my case for using excessive force on criminal scum. And now I catch you nearly beating an innocent man senseless."

The sheriff turned to face her, a manicured eyebrow raised in confusion. "Excessive force? I've never seen you raise a hand to anyone, criminal or not. And I haven't changed, Vi. I have always been like this. But you..." She took a step closer to the enforcer and lifted her arm slightly, inspecting the wrist that had been squeezed earlier. There were bruises forming and the pink haired woman grimaced slightly at the sight. "You're just like me after all."

Vi saw the implication behind her words but she also saw the lie in them. This... version of Caitlyn that she was seeing was nothing more than her own inner demons materialized. The fear of hurting someone she cares about if she loses control, the fear of causing collateral damage on her pursuit for guilty parties; her obsession with bringing all the scum in the world to justice, to protect the weak.

She was not like that. She was not like _her_.

"I'm nothing like you." She finally spoke, holding Caitlyn's gaze. "Something you taught me, back when I joined the force, was that violence only brings destruction and despair. I shrugged you off like I always did but then... Then the bank episode happened. I almost killed a woman, Cait. I almost crushed her under a wall just because I was itching for action. I didn't even think about checking my surroundings before I went through that _fucking_ wall."

"I don't understand..? What do you mean 'bank episode'? I don't remember any of that."

The enforcer chuckled quietly and closed her eyes. "I figured you wouldn't. For some reason no one remembers the things I do. But I know it happened. I really do. And it taught me a good lesson on caring for more than just myself and what I want." She opened her eyes again and moved closer to the sheriff, placing her gauntlets gently on her shoulders. "Answer me this: why are you so obsessed with these 'rebels'? What did they do to make you chase them to the ends of the earth?"

"They are trying to destroy everything I worked for. They say my methods are 'too brutal'..." She laughed bitterly at the thought. "They should be thanking me for wiping out the criminals, not plotting to take me down."

Vi braced herself for the inevitable question she needed to ask. "Tell me the truth... are you the vigilante that has been taking down store owners?"

The other woman didn't even blink when she replied with a firm _'yes'_.

The enforcer backed away, nausea washing over her. She shook her head, trying to tell herself she had heard it wrong, that there was no way the sheriff could have done something so disgusting as that.

No, there was no way. It couldn't be.

"Caitlyn... I've never been so disappointed, so sick to my stomach so... _angry_... in my entire life." She turned around, unable to face her partner. "How could you?! How could you kill people that have done _nothing_ wrong?! They had families to take care of! They had kids that will never see their father walk back to raise them and wives that will never see their loving husband again! How the _fuck_ could you have stooped so low..." Her voice cracked, tears starting to blur her vision. "And for what? For a bunch of people that think you're too brutal?! Have you stopped to think maybe they're _fucking_ right?!"

"Vi, I-"

"I love you, you know. I love you so damn much and it hurts... It hurts like _hell_ to see you doing this." She turned around, not caring at all if she was giving Caitlyn the pleasure to see her cry. "You disgust me. You're as bad as the scum from the slums, the ones that kill just for sport."

She missed the pained look in the sheriff's eyes when she walked out of the room.

 **OoOoO**

Vi stepped out into the warm sun, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. She quickly walked towards a more private spot, an empty alley nearby, and allowed herself to lean against the cold wall. Her head was a swirling mess of questions and emotions and for the first time she didn't know what to do or to who to turn for help. How could have things changed so much in one night? No, it hadn't been just in one night. It had been like this for weeks now but how? How hadn't she noticed it? Had she been asleep all this time?

So many questions, so little answers.

She decided that the best course of action would be to just go home, take a long shower and then look around for clues or other info about why this mess was happening, starting in her own apartment. Yes, it did sound like a plan.

When she wiped her tears and was about to move out, a small kid entered the alley and approached her. It was a small girl, with long flowing jet black hair and piercing green eyes. She was wearing a lovely yellow summer dress, with little sunflower patterns all over; she couldn't be more than ten years old, Vi noticed.

And from the look she gave her, she didn't appear to be lost.

"You're late for the meeting, pinky." The girl spoke, in a melodic tone. "You know the blue lady doesn't like when people are late. Especially you."

"Uh... Meeting? What meeting? And who is this blue lady you're talking about?"

The kid eyed her for a second, an eyebrow raised. "It's worse than I thought... The evil lady got you, didn't she?" She rubbed her chin, deep in thought, before snapping her tiny fingers together. "Ah, I'm sure the blue lady will fix you! Come with me!"

She grabbed one of Vi's big metallic fingers and tugged on it, motioning for her to follow. The pink haired woman obliged, curious to see what kind of meeting and what kind of person this 'blue lady' was. They navigated through some narrow streets and dark alleys, earning a few looks from the few people they passed by. But the small girl didn't seem to care; she kept walking and leading Vi along, only stopping when they reached a hidden door behind what looked like a small bakery shop.

She knocked three times, before letting go of the metal finger to clap two times. She repeated the motion once and the door cracked open, a small frail man appearing into view. He acknowledged them with a nod and opened the door further, gesturing for them to pass. The small girl smiled big before reaching for Vi again and pulling her along.

They went down at least two flights of steps before the enforcer could see a narrow hallway leading to a well-lit, large room. Inside, she found all sort of different people gathered around a large wooden table, deep in conversation. They seemed unaware of her presence until she stepped into the light; then all chat immediately died down and everyone turned their attention on her.

Everyone including the blue haired woman with long braids sitting at the head of the table.

"Blue lady, blue lady!" The small girl let go of Vi and rushed towards the woman, smiling. "I brought her here, just like I promised!"

"Yes you did, Katie. I'm so proud of you." She spoke and the enforcer could have sworn she had heard that voice before. "Were you seen lurking around the Hall of Law?"

The small girl, Katie, shook her head. "No, she wasn't in there. I found her in an alley crying... She didn't remember me or the meeting, blue lady. I think the evil lady got to her!"

The smile on the blue haired woman's face dropped. "Oh, I see..." She glanced towards Vi for a moment, before turning her attention back to the girl. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can fix her again, yes? Now be a good girl and go meet Jayce in the kitchen, he brought some cookies for you."

Katie let out a happy _'cookies!'_ before hugging the 'blue lady' and rushing out of the room though a door Vi had missed before. The blue haired girl then gestured for the others to leave and waited for them to be left alone; when the door slammed shut, she beckoned the enforcer to come closer, patting the chair next to her.

"Have a seat, Vi. We have a lot to discuss it seems."

She hesitated for a minute, before taking small careful steps towards the stranger. She pulled back a chair, not as close as the other woman had pointed, and took a seat. Her cautious behaviour seemed to have caused some amusement on the blue haired, who let out a chuckle. She placed her elbows on the table and held her head between her palms, watching Vi carefully through distraught, blood red eyes.

"Caitlyn did something to you?"

Vi stiffened visibly at the mention of the sheriff's name. "Aside from forgetting important stuff and playing vigilante behind my back? I don't think so."

"I see..."

She was quiet for a moment, observing the pink haired woman's every movement. It unnerved Vi to no end, but she managed to keep herself composed. After what felt like an eternity, she spoke again. "Sorry to have brought her into the conversation but since you don't seem to remember anything, logically speaking she could have done something to you. Wouldn't be the first time anyway."

"What do you mean? Did she do something to me before?"

"Yes, she did. Look, Vi, I don't know how much you remember from your past but you used to be quite the genius hextech prodigy. You had your own lab, things were looking up for you... That is, until our dear sheriff crossed your path." She pushed her chair back and got up, pacing with her hands behind her back as she spoke. "A group of citizens, some years ago, started to look into the late sheriff's mysterious dismissal after Caitlyn took his place and stuff went to hell. He was quite the nice guy, healthy as a horse too. So when out of the blue he passed away from a serious illness, all fingers quickly pointed at his second in command."

She paused in front of a small coffee maker, filling two cups up to the rim with steamy black liquid. She grabbed the cups and turned, before walking around the table, placing one of the cups in front of the enforcer.

"She was quite the clever, cunning girl. As soon as she entered the warden ranks, she advanced really fast... too fast." She placed her own cup down and sat back on her chair. "Some say she was just that good; other say she slept around with a couple of higher ups, including the sheriff himself. That's how she got him to trust her in the first place."

"That... doesn't sound like Caitlyn at all." Vi interjected. "She's always been good at investigating and all and I didn't even know she took someone's spot."

"Hm, well the spot was occupied yes. That is until she disposed of him. Rumour has it he was thinking about marrying this lady from Demacia so he couldn't really be fooling around with his second in command any more, you see? The marriage was announced and a week after that he got terribly ill." She gently blew against the steam from her cup and took a small sip. "A couple of days later he passed away. Everyone was devastated, except her. She just went on with things like nothing had happened; the mayor announced her as a new sheriff the day after, as soon as they had buried the other guy."

"It was all too fast, you see Vi?" She continued. "People started to ask too many questions and the mayor seemed too touchy about it for some time, like he was also hiding something. So this underground movement was created, recruiting people from all classes and lines of work. Our objective is not to start any kind of war or initiate any sort of violence; we just want the truth. Our best recruits were Ezreal and Jayce, I think you know them." The enforcer nodded. "But before they could find any relevant information, she pushed them away. First she had Jayce arrested for conspiracy, when she found him alone at her office and swore she saw him going through her files; then and as you know, she tried to get rid of Ez by leaving him in Shurima. But thanks to you, he returned home."

"Woah, she put Jayce in jail? Ah ah ah, that's actually kinda funny." The blue haired girl twitched visibly at her words. "I'm sorry but that's just rich. I would have paid to see him there, with his smug face behind bars."

"At least your sense of humour seems intact." Jayce appeared at the door, the small girl sitting on his shoulders, happily nibbling on a cookie. "I can assure you though, it was not as funny as it sounds."

"Hey, hammer boy. Yeah I figured, for some reason nothing is funny around here and Caitlyn is this monster from the void." She took a sip from the coffee she had been offered earlier. "I just reached the point where I ran out of _fucks_ to give, so allow me to laugh at your misfortune."

He shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose."

"Anyway, back to the topic at hand." The blue haired woman waited for Jayce to take a seat, before continuing. "We heard about you and your big heart and decided to try and approach you, to see if you could maybe lend us a hand. But somehow Caitlyn caught wind of it so she reached you first. And that was when you had your life turned upside down." She finished her coffee, her full attention back on Vi. "She put you on a short leash and buried you into warden work. You couldn't leave when you wanted and you weren't allowed to set foot in your lab any more. You were also forced to accompany her wherever she went, be it crime scenes or simple public appearances."

"You were really not used to any of that, especially the more intense side of it." Jayce spoke, in a low voice. "Being in the field can be... brutal if one is not prepared for it. So you snapped."

"I snapped." The enforcer repeated, trying to process the word.

"Yes, you snapped. You were this really introverted and quiet kind of person, very private too. You became outspoken, easy going, very social. Now, that's not a bad thing, right? Except you also started frequently going to bars, got into fights, slept with strangers and got drunk every single day. Call it a coping mechanism, I guess."

Vi snorted. "That sounds like what I used to do alright. But then Cait offered me a job and I stopped that." She shrugged, leaning back in her chair. "So I don't see how you can call that 'snapping'."

Jayce and the blue haired woman shared a look and even small Katie paused her nibbling.

"It is worse than I thought... Your memories were altered." She stood up and walked towards the enforcer, pulling a small flash light out of her pocket. "Tell me, Vi, have you been experiencing confusion, possible disorientation..." She shone a light on the pink haired woman's eyes. "Maybe nausea as well-"

She was pushed away unceremoniously. "Yes to all, OK? Just get that damn light away from me, for _fuck's_ sake. I'm seeing spots everywhere now."

The 'blue lady' put the small flash light back in her pocket, before turning her attention to Jayce. "I really think she was brainwashed. She seems fine, physically, but I'm afraid her memories where erased and replaced for more... fitting ones."

"I think you're right. I bet it was professor Heimerdinger. Caitlyn seems to have him in the palm of her hand these days." He glanced at Vi, who was trying to blink away the spots from her vision. "Do you know him, Vi? Did she ever introduce you to him?"

"The donger? Yeah I know him. She introduced us back when I joined the force. Weird dude if you ask me."

"Your theory confirms itself, boss. What do we do now? Carry on with the plan?"

"If Vi is still willing to help us out, yes. If not, we may have to wait until we catch a new break I guess." She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms above her chest. "Your call, enforcer. Will you help us or not?"

She was silent for a second, contemplating all the information she had been given. It sounded like pure madness what they were saying, but she knew there was a hint of truth somewhere in their words. She remembered what happened back in the interrogation room, how out of her mind Caitlyn seemed, how her glove was stained with blood.

But especially at how her riffle had taken the life of three innocent people, at least that she knew of. There could have been more before; there could be more afterwards. If there was even a small chance that she could put a stop to it... Maybe she could even prove that Caitlyn had somehow been replaced or that she was being forced by someone to do such horrible things.

It was a risk she was willing to take.

"I will help." Before they could even say a word, she added. "But you can't harm Caitlyn in any way."

 **OoOoO**

Two hours later, Vi walked into the empty warehouse, located in the lower district of Piltover. The plan was quite simple: Jayce, the blue haired girl, and a couple of other capable guys would hide in different spots, behind crates and long unused machines. Vi's part involved luring an unsuspected Caitlyn inside and disarm her, so they could then jump from their hiding spots and surround her. The enforcer, however, was unaware they had plans to restrain the sheriff, question her and extract the truth using all means necessary.

She pulled her hextech comunication device out of her pocket and scrolled through her contacts, stopping on hers. She hesitated for a moment before pressing the call button. It rang once, twice. And just when Vi thought there would be no reply, she heard her voice on the other side of the line.

" _Vi? Vi, is that you? Oh by the gods, are you alright? I am so sorry about what happened, I- I've been looking for you everywhere."_

"Yeah, I'm okay Cait." She tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat when she noticed the concern in her voice. "Just needed some time to... think, you know?"

" _I understand, I... "_ There was a sound of paper rustling in the background, followed by a soft thud. _"I just wanted you to know how sorry I am, I didn't mean anything I said."_

"I know you didn't." A wave of guilt washed over her, but she pushed it away. "Listen, I'm actually calling because I realized... how this rebel group is important to you and-"

" _Vi... Look, I don't want you to try and find them. They are like ghosts and chances are you are on a wild-goose chase. Just..." S_ he sighed loudly and Vi could hear the exhaustion in her voice. _"Just come back to the Hall, please. I need to see you- To assure myself you're alright."_

She hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond. But she had to do it, she reminded herself, for both their sakes. "I actually found their hideout, Caitlyn. I followed someone acting suspicious and... I heard them, I heard them talking about you and what you did."

There was silence on the other side of the line. _"Are you sure about that? Is it really their hideout?"_

"Yes, I'm sure. Grab a paper and a pen, I'll give you the address. Just meet me there but come alone. We don't want to scare them away."

She gave her the warehouse location before hanging up the phone. She sighed loudly as she put the electronic back in her pocket. Jayce came to gently clasp her shoulder, reminding her it was all for the best.

Vi wasn't so sure of that any more.

Forty five minutes later, the sheriff of Piltover walked inside the warehouse, carefully approaching the enforcer. They stood, supposedly alone, in the middle of the room facing each other. Caitlyn gave her a questioning look; Vi just awkwardly smiled.

"I'm glad you made it. They finished their meeting a few minutes ago and scurried to the back." She gestured behind herself. "There's a hidden trap door, I saw them lifting it and descending so I guess we are standing right on top of them."

"That is a really good job, enforcer. I am proud of you." She gave her an honest smile before her expression fell. "I am still really sorry about earlier, I really didn't mean to call you such horrible things. I'm just _sooo_ tired of all this mess I just lost my sense of reasoning. And my mind, I guess."

"I shouldn't have pushed you that hard in the first place, Cait." Her eyes dropped to the other woman's wrist, the purples marks now more evident. "How's your wrist?"

"Ah, almost forgot about it." She lifted it up slightly, into the scarce light that shone from outside. "It looks worse than it feels, I promise."

Vi gave her a small acknowledging nod before reminding herself that she had not invited the sheriff here to chat. She needed to disarm her; and to do that, her hands would have to reach behind her back and tug on the leather strip that kept the riffle in place. And to do that...

"Can I get a hug?" She blurted out without thinking. "Sorry it sounds awkward I just want to make sure all this in behind us now."

"Hm, sounds fair enough I suppose..."

There was a hint of mistrust in Caitlyn's voice but she took a step forward towards the pink haired woman, arms stretched reaching for her. Vi slid her hands around her torso and held her in a bear hug. But as she was reaching for the leather strip, her eyes caught sight of something shining in the light: its surface smooth and polished, with a silvery glow.

A dagger. One of the men, close to the entrance had it in his hand. And what was that, he held in his other hand? Rope?

She had been tricked. She had lured Caitlyn into a deadly trap. They didn't want the truth: they wanted to get rid of the sheriff for good.

Panicking, Vi forgot all about what she was supposed to do. She pushed the sheriff away and before she could even ask why, she spoke with urgency in her voice.

"Cait, get out of here _now_! It's a trap, they want to kill you!"

"Wha-"

"Get out of here! They tricked me! They told me they just wanted to truth! It was all a lie, they want to kill you! GET OUT NOW!"

"Wait, you lured me into a _trap_?! VI HOW COULD YOU! I TRUSTED YOU!"

A voice spoke from the dark. "For _fuck's_ sake, you were supposed to just disarm her!"

Jayce moved from the shadows behind Vi, followed by the woman with blue hair. The others also came into view, forming a perfect circle around the two women. The enforcer's fears were true: all of them appeared to be armed with daggers and ropes. She turned around, her back to the sheriff, and faced them.

"Peacefully my _ass_!You tricked me!"

"Did you honestly thought we would show mercy to her? After everything she did? Don't be naïve, girl." The 'blue lady' spoke, her tone low and dangerous. "At this point we could care less about the truth; at this point the only thing that can make things better is her blood spilled on this floor."

"You'll have to go through me first if you want her."

"I don't think we will have to." She gestured with her chin. "She will do that for us I believe."

Vi turned around, painfully slow and found Caitlyn pointing her riffle at her, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Cait, what are you-"

"I cannot believe just how low you went... I trusted you, I gave you a job, I put a decent roof above your head... And what do I get in return? Insubordination. Betrayal. You lured me into my death."

"No, please Caitlyn, listen to me! I never meant for this to happen, please let me try and fix things, please let me-"

"There's nothing you can do. This is the end of the line." - She lifted her rifle slightly, her finger on the trigger.

The enforcer's eyes widen. "Don't do anything you'll regret, Cait."

"Dead people have no regrets, _love._ "

The last word was spoken full of venom and Vi's gut tightened with guilt. The others just watched in horror as the sheriff pulled the trigger and shot her partner without a moment of hesitation. A flash of unbearable pain shot through the enforcer's body as the bullet pierced her _blast shield_ and lodged itself in her abdomen. She fell on her knees, blood dripping from her wound onto the floor beneath her. She lifted her eyes only to find Caitlyn placing the barrel of her gun under her own chin.

She gave Vi one last pained look before she pulled the trigger.

 **OoOoO**

 **(SAFE to read from here on.)**

Vi shot up with a loud scream. She placed a hand over her heart, trying to steady her breathing. Looking around, she came to realize she was in her room, in her own bed. How had she gotten there? More important, how was she still alive? She lifted her tank top and was surprised to find no bloody cloth. Not even a scar.

Had it all been a terrible nightmare? No, it didn't make any sense, she could have sworn the shot was still ringing in her ears-

A knock on her front door made her jump out of bed. She took a glance at her digital clock: six thirty, one hour before Vi's alarm was supposed to go off. Who could possibly be at her doorstep so early in the morning? There was only one person who would possibly get up _that_ early and the thought of _her_ chilled the enforcer to the bone.

 _'It was all just a shitty nightmare. She didn't shoot you and she didn't-'_

The knocks became more insistent and she steeled herself. Confrontation would be inevitable, being it pleasant or not. But what if it was her? It would probably mean everything had indeed been nothing more than a terrible nightmare. But what if it was real? What if for some reason Vi survived to tell the tale (being it by sheer luck or because Jayce and the others took pity on her) and she was about to be confronted by some sort of angry creature thirsty for her blood?

She shook her head, trying to drive those thoughts away. _'I'm going insane'_ she thought to herself as she crossed her apartment, stopping in front of the offending door. She took a deep breath before noticing her gauntlets leaning against the wall. She reached for the left one and slipped into it, just in case it was indeed a very angry ghost knocking.

 _'Like a good punch could stop a ghost... Nice one, Vi.'_

She reached for the latch and undid it; then, painfully slow, she reached for the door handle, hand shaking slightly. Sweat started to drip from her forehead as she turned the knob and threw the door open in one swift, violent motion.

Caitlyn stared at her, eyebrow raised in confusion. She blinked several times, trying to adjust to the sight in front of her: Vi looked pale, her hair a mess and her clothes clinging to her body. There were beads of sweat dripping down her forehead and she had one gauntlet on, ready to strike. She looked ridiculous, the sheriff concluded.

"Rough night?" She spoke, still eyeing her partner in concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Oh, you could say that." She licked her lips. "Just to be clear: Cait, can you answer a few questions for me?"

"Hm, I suppose?" She eyed the other woman again, from head to toe. "Do you have a fever or something?"

"No, I'm not ill... I think. Just answer my questions, okay? I need to make sure of something." Caitlyn just nodded, even though she looked utterly confused. "Are we dating?"

The sheriff blinked. "You asked me out last night so... Yes? Unless you suddenly changed your mind overnight...?"

"I asked you out last night." She repeated the words out loud, mostly to herself. "Okay, that's good. Now tell me: is there a rebel group trying to take you down because you killed the last sheriff?"

"What kind of question is _that_? Are you sure you don't have a fever, Vi?" She approached the pink haired woman and tried to reach for her forehead but she took a step back.

"Just answer the question, please." Her voice had a pleading tone in it this time.

"There is no rebel group and I am one hundred percent sure I didn't 'kill' the last sheriff."

"Okay... That's good. Now, last question and this is important: did you shoot me because I betrayed you and lured you into a deadly trap and they tricked me and they had weapons but they told me they didn't and holy _fuck_ you were so mad you shot me and then-

"Slow down, slow down. I did _what_ now? And you lured me into a deadly trap...?" She sighed, shaking her head. "Vi, love, you are making little sense here... Were you drinking last night again?"

"No, I didn't... I only drank a beer after we finished at the docks and that was it, I swear."

"Do you feel feverish then?" She took another tentative step towards the enforcer. "Mind if I check?"

The pink haired woman gave her a small nod and Caitlyn lifted her hand, touching her forehead gently. It wasn't that warm so Vi was not sick; but she was sweating a lot. The sheriff let her hand slide down, gently resting it on her partner's cheek and she immediately leaned into the touch.

"I think you just had a nightmare. A terrible one by the looks of it..." Her voice was low and soothing; Vi only gave a small grunt in reply. "I brought some things over so we could eat breakfast together so... how about I take care of it while you take a nice warm shower, hm?"

"Alright... I'm really sorry if I sounded stupid, Cait. It all just felt so _fucking_ real I-"

She was interrupted by a small peck on her lips. She gave the sheriff a surprised look and in return, the other woman pointed towards the bathroom. The enforcer let out a complaining noise and dragged her feet dramatically while her partner watched in amusement.

"When you are done, you can tell me all about that nightmare of yours."

She knew she wouldn't.


	12. Let It Happen

Me: I will try and keep an update schedule going...

Real life: *Laughs*

* * *

 _"_ _It's always around me, all this noise  
But not nearly as loud as the voice saying  
"Let it happen, let it happen (It's gonna feel so good)  
Just let it happen, let it happen_ _"_

 _Let It Happen – Tame Impala_

 **OoOoO**

The water felt too cold on her skin but Vi didn't care. Standing there under the shower, forehead against the tiles, she felt bad for having freaked out on her partner first thing that morning. But the nightmare had felt too real; the sounds, the smells... but especially the voices. One in particular had felt strangely familiar, like an echo from a past she didn't want to remember.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the girl with blue tresses she had seen and spoken to in her subconscious state. Her voice was still clear but her face was blurred, like someone had dropped water on a paper when the pen ink was still fresh. Vi took a deep breath and tried to focus on the parts of her dream where she had encountered the mysterious girl, but the more she tried to recall her face, the more fuzzy it got.

Frustration overtook her and she let out a growl, fist connecting with the tiled wall in front of her. A loud sound followed her action, old pipes complaining under the strain of the impact, causing the water to cut off. The pink haired woman opened her eyes then but didn't make any effort to move, not even when she heard heels clicking on the old floorboards.

For a moment she had forgotten she wasn't alone.

The steps halted by the bathroom door and for a moment, there was silence. The enforcer let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, glancing up at the now shattered tile in the shower wall.

 _'Shit.'_

"Vi, is everything alright?" her partner asked, concern present in her voice. "I think your pipes just gave out."

"Uh, yeah I'm fine." Vi quickly turned both taps off and let out a soft curse when she noticed her right hand was bleeding. "Just... give me a minute, I'll be out soon."

She knew Caitlyn was frowning on the other side of the door. "Are you sure? You seem a bit... off today."

Vi weighed her options as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped an old towel around her bloodied knuckles. Lying to her wasn't a risk the younger woman was willing to take; she was sure the sheriff would be able to see right through it. But telling her the whole truth without being sure what it all meant herself would definitely open a can of worms.

An half-truth seemed like the best option.

"The nightmare I had, it just... freaked me out a bit, alright?" She kept her voice as steady as possible. "It felt too damn real." She let out a bitter laugh. "Who would have guessed, uh? Your big bad enforcer is scared over a little dream."

"We all have those once in a while, Vi. There's nothing for you to be ashamed of." Caitlyn's voice was surprisingly soft. "Just don't let it get to you."

Surprise overtook her features and for a second she wished she could see the older woman's face through the door. "You get those too?"

"Occasionally."

"I wouldn't have guessed it, I mean... You never said anything about that ever."

A small chuckle. "I am not the one who likes to overshare her _vivid_ dreams with the desk-warden."

"Hey now, I do it because he secretly enjoys it. And even if he doesn't, it's worth the faces people make when they're passing by."

"You are incorrigible."

"Yeah but you like me anyway so it's a win-win situation for me."

There was an exasperated sigh. "Just... Finish up and join me for breakfast. We have less than an hour or we will be late."

"Aye aye, ma'am."

 **oOoOo**

As they sat across each other in Vi's small kitchen table, the enforcer decided to share a few details with her partner about what she had dreamed. Caitlyn remained silent throughout the entire thing, occasionally nodding along as she sipped on her coffee. Although as the younger woman finished her wild tale, she raised an eyebrow at the conclusion.

"Is that why you were all jumpy when you saw me? You thought I was going to shoot you?"

Vi gave her a sheepish look. "Well, yeah? Believe me, you were pretty pissed at me in the dream."

"If I were to ever shoot you... Two things." She placed her cup down and held a finger up. "One, you would not have seen me." Another finger. "And two, I would not aim that low. A good headshot would have done the trick if you were off guard. Which, according to your description of events, you were. So, as you see, there was nothing for you to be afraid of this morning."

She twitched. "Was that supposed to make me feel any better, Cait?"

"Logically speaking, it should. Besides, I could never become the person you described me to be in your dream." She gave her partner a small smile as she reached for her cup. "Now finish your breakfast or we will be late. Which reminds me... We need to talk about yesterday."

"Oh? Uh... What about it?"

The sheriff straightened up on her chair, her expression suddenly serious. "Fraternization is strictly forbidden inside the Halls of Law, Vi. If things come to light, we can both be fired on the spot."

Vi tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Does that mean you came here this morning just to tell me to forget what happened?"

"No, that is not why I am here. Look, this..." she gestured vaguely between them with her free hand. "Relationship thing is uncharted territory for me. My job has always been my biggest priority and frankly, putting it in jeopardy is the last thing I want to do. Not to mention I am not good with anything that has to do with feelings and the sort. So I need you to tell me straight up if you think this is something worth pursuing, despite what I just told you."

The younger woman crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, eyes still narrowed but never breaking contact with piercing blue ones. "If I say yes, what happens?"

"We play this game by my rules. Are you up to it, enforcer?"

 **OoOoO**

Their entrance in the Halls of Justice was anything but awkward. As soon as Caitlyn pushed the heavy door open, another sheriff immediately greeted her and took her aside for a private matter. Vi leaned on the heavy front desk and watched them like a hawk, wondering if the wardens had already caught wind of something. Harknor cleaned his throat loudly behind the enforcer but she just ignored him.

"If you're wondering what they're talking about, you should remember what you did last night in the botanic garden."

That got her attention.

Vi spun around, eyes wide at his words. "How do you know about that?"

"Everyone does, you idiot. Breaking in and leaving handcuffs with _'Property of the Piltover Enforcer_ ' carved on them stuck to the gate? Let's just say the morning patrol had a very easy time figuring out the culprit. Honestly, what did you even go there for?"

"Oh you know me..." She scratched the back of her head, faking embarrassment. "Always trying to impress the ladies."

The man snorted. "Must have been one hell of a catch for you to be stupid enough to leave your personal handcuffs behind." His eyes scanned the area for a second before he focused his attention on the newspaper in front of him. "Well whatever you did last night better have been worth it because your 'boss' doesn't look too happy."

She tempted a glance towards where her partner and the other man had been talking and immediately regretted her decision. The brief eye contact she shared with the other woman was enough to make the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up and for her entire body to break in a cold sweat.

Okay, maybe she should have told Caitlyn she had left her handcuffs behind to keep the gate closed...

She heard heavy heels clicking on the wooden floorboards, coming closer and closer until they stopped right behind her. Vi threw a quick glance towards the desk-warden, but the man seemed content enough being kept out of it.

 _'Coward.'_

"Ahem."

"Heeeeey, Cupcake!" She turned around with sheepish expression and was met with narrowed eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"Well..." the older woman raised her left hand, dangling a pair of silver handcuffs in front of the enforcer's face. "Recognize these?"

This is were their little arrangement came into play. Caitlyn had warned her that just because they were technically together, in the work place they were still superior and officer. So if Vi happened to cross the line, she would get the full scolding and consequences for it, less the wardens become suspicious of the nature of their relationship.

At that point she just wanted to grab the sheriff's hand, apologize for the slip up and promise to be more careful from there on, but she knew she couldn't, and the amount of wardens that had surely gathered to watch one of Piltover's Finest known 'domestics' were expecting her to put on a show.

So she gave them one.

"These? Nah, never seen them before. Maybe from one of your boys?"

"Are you sure, Vi? Because these have a very clear _'Property of the Piltover Enforcer'_ engraved on right here." She pointed with her free hand to the inside of one of the cuffs, drawing the other woman's attention to it. "Still not yours?"

"Oh right, my bad. Lost those last week and forgot to tell you. But hey, thanks for finding them, saves me the trouble to ask for an extra."

She reached for the handcuffs but Caitlyn moved them out of reach, making Vi pout. "Someone broke into the botanical garden last night and whoever it was, managed to pry the heavy gates open, didn't steal anything and left your handcuffs behind. I think that seems too big of a coincidence, does it not?" The sheriff inched closer, nearly pinning the younger woman against the desk. "Start talking."

There were a few gasps in the audience that had gathered to watch the scene but Vi looked anything but bothered. "Alright, you got me cupcake. I broke into the garden last night because I had this beautiful lady friend with me who I've been itching to hook up with. Could have taken her to one of the taverns on the lower districts but she has more... refined tastes. So I had to improvise or you know, I would have missed my chance of getting laid."

Vi threw a wink and put on one of her cocky smirks.

Caitlyn lost her composure for a second, cheeks reddening at the words. Of course the enforcer would try and use the situation to get a rise out of her; she should have known better than to ask the woman to act normally in case something about their break in would come up.

But two could play the same game, she thought as her eyes narrowed again and a small smile blossomed in her red lips. To her amusement, Vi seemed to have noticed the change and was now looking at her like she had suddenly grown two heads.

 _'Perfect.'_

"I hope you had fun last night since you are about to be assigned to the holding cells for the rest of the week. And by that, I mean that, aside from making sure no one breaks out, you will also have to make sure the criminals are well... accommodated."

Clear blue eyes widened at the words. "You don't mean...?"

"Cleaning. Duty."

Snickers broke out around them and even the desk-warden let out a snort. Vi for her part looked beyond mortified as her handcuffs were left to dangle ridiculously from her right gauntlet middle finger (only later she realized Caitlyn had done it as a statement) as the sheriff gave her one last smug look before turning on her heels and making her way towards the staircase.

The wardens present immediately dispersed in fear as she passed by, most of them finding their unfilled pile of reports suddenly more interesting, but as soon as Caitlyn disappeared into the higher offices, a wave of whistling and laughter broke out as the younger woman pathetically dragged herself towards the double doors that led into the holding area.

 **oOoOo**

Later that day, Vi was surprised to receive a note from the sheriff with an apology and an invitation for a quiet dinner at her place.


End file.
